ISSUE 48 • Feb. -Apr. 2018 SUSTAINABLE WOODSTOCK, VERMONT! FREE! SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR VT, NH, MA, NY and Beyond R S! EA Y 8

Energy Independence, Energy Efficiency, Sustainable Living and MORE! www.greenenergytimes.org | 802.439.6675 The BUSINESS Who’s Really the Winner at the Super Games? CASE FOR By Chris Gillespie

SOLAR POWER By Thaddeus Rumple By George Harvey “We can help any business save money through solar,” Jim Merriam, the CEO of Norwich Solar Technologies asserted. Some business operators have the idea that solar power would not work for them, but Merriam responded to this notion by saying, “Anybody can do this, and anybody can save money. This remains true even if you don’t directly own or host the solar array.” Norwich Solar Technologies, located in White River Junction, Vermont, has worked in the solar industry in Vermont and New Hampshire since 2011. As a company specializing in educational, municipal, and commercial facilities, it has done close analysis of the advantages it can bring its customers. One of the results of this work is a report, “The Top 4 Ways Solar Power Can Strengthen Your Business,” which is available for download at the company website (https:// norwichsolar.com/solar-power-for-business- ebook/). Briefly stated, the top four ways are the New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady drops back to pass in the second half of Super Bowl LII. Image: Brian Allen/Voice of America. Team USA’s Andy Newell on Sustainability at PyeongChang following: 2018 and Beyond. Andy is from Shaftsbury, Vermont. Image courtesy of Andy Newell. 33 Reduced energy costs with long- term stability. Welcome to the 2018 Sustainability Super Bowl! 33 Reduced taxes with generous rooftop photovoltaic solar panels as well as so- wind.” As stated on the team’s website, The depreciation schedules (up to 100% Since both the New England Patriots and the lar canopies, which, according to Patriots Place’s Eagles partnered with NRG to design, construct bonus depreciation) and tax credits (30% Philadelphia Eagles have impressive records website, “provide up to 60% of Patriot Place’s and operate 11,108 solar panels and 14 wind of system cost), with an additional 7.2% when it comes to conserving resources and power and reduce carbon emissions by more turbines at Lincoln Financial Field. Vigorous tax credit for Vermont businesses. utilizing renewable energy, we’ve decided to than 800 metric tons every year.” According to waste management, composting and recycling 33 Appreciation of an environmentally- pit them against each other once more to see a report from Patriot Place, during the second procedures help the Eagles keep over 99% of sound effort from customers and commu- which team is truly greener. quarter of 2017, the shopping and dining cen- waste generated in the stadium out of landfills. nity members. Since G.E.T. is based in New England, we’ll ter conserved nearly 207,000 kWh of electricity, The Eagles have also planted 568 trees over 33 Increased property value with start with the Patriots: 333,000 gallons of water and 232 metric tons of the past ten years in order to offset emissions potential for new revenue streams. Patriots Place, the sprawling “super-regional GHG emissions. caused by all of the team’s travel. Lincoln Finan- lifestyle destination” adjacent to Gillette Sta- Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, “100% of the cial Field is considered to be dium in Foxborough, MA, has more than 2,600 Eagles operations are powered by the sun and ‘off the grid’ as a result of their Cont’d on p.39

Sustainable Business 2018 that important politicians push to have it Today’s top business trends will have big impacts ignored. Conservative Republican leaders in the state of Louisiana, for example, have By George Harvey this clearly. In India, for example, the cost told people in nearly all coastal areas that The state of sustainable business ap- of electricity from new renewable sources they have to be prepared to move pears to be up in the air right now. This is is lower than that of about two-thirds of elsewhere because of rising seas, the result largely because of unclear policy on the the existing coal-burning power plants. In of climate change, combined with part of the governments of the United the long run, there is no longer any reason subsiding land, the result Cont’d on p.38 The Upper Valley Aquatic Center’s 500 kW off-site, net- States and some of the individual states. to buy power from most thermal plants. metered solar powers this local business. Courtesy Image. With opposition to renewable energy, po- There are a number of factors that will tential investors have difficultly evaluating have effects on the US business situation. IN THIS ISSUE: Certainly, with climate change on the minds market risks. They put their funds else- These are a few: of many people, it is good to have customers, where, and this has a somewhat depress- 1. As outrageous as federal government Putting A Price on Pollution p.3 neighbors, and others in the community aware ing effect on renewable businesses. attacks on science seem to be, the really The Greenest Vehicles for 2018 p.7 of the work a business is doing to reduce car- What is not clear to some people, even important issue is what corporate America bon emissions. Solar installations are an excel- including even some in the field, is that does. And corporate America has many Batteries: Lead-Acid or Lithium p.12 lent way for any organization to say, “We care, the situation is tilting rapidly in favor of leaders who evaluate potentials objec- Tidal Power p.15 and we are doing our part.” And while there are renewable energy. Costs have come down tively in terms of gains or loss for their still a few people who object to the appearance far more rapidly than almost anyone might companies. There is strong support for Heating: From the Ground Up p. 22 of a large solar farm, the number of people have predicted, and this drives investment fact-based science. Ideal Home Ventilation p. 28 who welcome solar systems is increasing as in renewable energy. 2. Climate change is a very real threat to communities get involved and Looking beyond our borders, we can see many investments, regardless of the fact the public awareness of the Cont’d on p.19 A SolAr G.E.T. IT! Powered ComPAny Many thanks Please recycle or to the sponsors of this edition of share this publication REEN ENERGY T MES Green Energy Times when finished G ... be energy independent! ™ GREEN ENERGY TIMES (G.E.T.) 1749 Wright’s Mountain Road • Bradford, VT 05033 Ammonoosuc TABLE OF CONTENTS t/f: 802.439.6675 • [email protected] NEWS & VIEWS … 3 G.E.T.’s COMMUNICATIONS TEAM: Energy PUT A PRICE ON CARBON: ESSEX PLAN...... 3 Publisher/Editor/Production ...... Nancy Rae Mallery TRANSPORTATION SECTION ...... 4-7 General Factotum ...... George Harvey Copy Editor ...... Ray Brewster EXPO ARE EV’S AND SOLAR THREATS?...... 4 Coordinating Director...... Michelle Harrison SAT., APRIL 7 • 9AM - 3 PM NEW EV PURCHASE INCENTIVES IN VT?...... 5 A huge special thank you to all of our contributing writers! CHRYSLER PACIFICA PHEV...... 6 Robb Aldrich, Dr. Alan K. Betts, Randy Bryan, Joanne Coons, 2018 LEAP SAVE THIS DATE! 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[email protected] For more info visit ammenergy.org For more info visit www.waterburyleap.org NH’S LARGEST SOLAR ARRAY GOES ONLINE...... 11 ...... Michelle Harrison, Londonderry, NH 603.437.0167 [email protected] BATTERIES: LEAD-ACID VS. LITHIUM...... 12 ...... Don Smallwood, So. 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EVERSOURCE: A MOST GREEN COMPANY...... 18 Thank you all for your help, and for all you all do! FEATURE: RENEWABLE TOWNS & CITIES...... 20-21 Please support our advertisers. They make G.E.T. happen! SUSTAINABLE WOODSTOCK, VT ...... 20-21 ABOUT G.E.T. Climate Change: What Can I Do? HEATING & COOLING...... 22-24 Green Energy Times is produced by 100% solar power, off-grid HEATING FROM THE GROUND UP (GEO)...... 22 We feel for our fellow U.S. citizens in southern states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with a 3.8 kW PV system. We live and know that Energy Inde- WOOD PELLET HEATING SYSTEMS...... 23 pendence is indeed possible – with clean, sustainable renew- as well as people living on other islands being hit by storms and the loss of coastal area able energy along with reducing your needs. We walk the talk! to rising seas. This will get worse, likely much worse. Much of Florida and other vulner- EZ FIRELOGS ARE EASY ...... 23 Our mission is to create Energy Awareness, Understanding able low lying coastal regions in Louisiana along with other coastal states will be lost to CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS...... 24-25 and Independence – Socially Responsible Living. rising waters. New York state will be hit as well with the rising Hudson River, with losses Solar Power works! … anywhere under the sun! to Long Island and other shorelines. BUSINESSES IN THE CLIMATE ECONOMY ...... 24 G.E.T. is published bi-monthly, mid-Feb., Apr., Jun., Aug., Oct. Climate refugees are increasing from Africa, Middle East, Asia and island nations. VT CLIMATE RESEARCH...... 24 & Dec., by NRM Advertising Company. It is free and available Where do they go? Aren’t they already heading to mainland U.S.? throughout 90% of VT & 80% of NH: the Upper Valley-St J. down DR. BETTS: WEATHER LISTENS TO NO MAN .... 25 to Brattleboro, Windsor-Ludlow, Barre-Montpelier-Burlington, If you lived in Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands, would you rebuild there? Wouldn’t you Stowe, Mooretown-Waitsfield, Morrisville, Hardwick, Danville, take your insurance settlement and seek higher ground in the U.S. to build on? BUILDING & ENERGY EFFICIENCY...... 26-31 NEK, Grand Isle, Woodstock-Rutland-Bennington; NH: Woods- With long range forecasting predicting more super hurricanes with higher storm THE FOAM FACTOR ...... 26-27 ville-Hanover-W. Leb.-Plainfield, Enfield-Claremont, Keene- surges and greater rainfalls, rising seas and higher tides, my supposition is that millions Concord-Plymouth-Laconia, Littleton, & towns in between, SWA: THE VENTILATION IDEAL ...... 28 Greenfield Center, MA... and throughout NY in the Hudson Val- from the Caribbean and Central America will relocate to the U.S. mainland. ley from NYC to L. George, the I-88 corridor ... 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We aim to publish content that is independently most important news items of the past two panels imported from most producing countries, IT’S A GREEN LIFE AFTER ALL...... 35-39 researched, unbiased and relevant to our audience. Submissions months. There is bad news, which is that including China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, are subject to our guidelines. Publication is subject to our edito- 2017 was the second hottest year on record, the Philippines, Mexico, and Canada. One of the INGREDIENT OF MONTH: PRIMATES ...... 35 rial judgment & schedule. worldwide, after 2016, which was an El Niño effects of this has been that Chinese manufac- ELMORE ROOTS: HOW SWEET IT IS ...... 36 Subscriptions: $30/yr. See form on page 34 or contact us. year. While we in the Northeast might have had turers have decided to build factories in India, IMPROVING HOME AIR QUALITY...... 37 Green Energy Times would like to thank everyone who has the impression that it was cooler than normal, which is one of the countries whose products submitted articles or helped in any way to make this all a real- SUSTAINABLE OLYMPICS...... 38-39 ity. We want to also thank our advertisers & ask that you sup- that was due to unusual weather patterns that are not subject to the tariff. More importantly, port them. Say that you saw them in Green Energy Times. Now did not reflect what was happening nearly however, the tariff means that there will be let’s all G.E.T. moving ahead towards a dean, renewable future – everywhere else. For the month of December, increased prices on solar panels in the United one where our children & grandchildren will be able to breathe the average temperatures in the entire state of States. JOIN OUR G.E.T. TEAM & grow, live & love on this beautiful planet where we live. Alaska were 15.7° F above normal. The increased taxation is largely being offset We have numerous positions open to help Thank you for reading G.E.T. Please send your comments & sug- Worse yet, 2017 was the warmest year on re- by falling prices of solar cells, which have fallen Green Energy Times g.e.t. our message out. gestions to: [email protected] cord for ocean waters. As water warms, it also ex- worldwide to new lows. In fact the latest infor- Disclaimer: G.E.T. allows space to, but does not endorse, con- We have positions available for: tributed content from professionals or vendors. pands, and this adds considerably to the rise of mation from Bloomberg New Energy Finance sea levels caused by melting glaciers. Satellites indicates that prices for new photovoltaic • Distribution • Ad Sales *G.E.T.’s Carbon Footprint Disclosure: Green Energy Times is printed locally on recycled paper. The printing process uses eco- measurements have shown that the sea levels modules have fallen to levels that were almost • Writing Contributions friendly water-based inks. There are not any totally green print- are rising at almost exactly the rate predicted by unimaginable only a year ago. The cost of PVs ers in the area that we are aware of, so it would mean trucking climate scientists’ computer models. have become only a small fraction of the total Experienced ad sales people needed immediately. them MUCH farther to have G.E.T. published in a totally green We have also seen news of slowdowns in con- cost of installation. The Distribution and writing is perfect for a retired manner, thus increasing carbon emissions, as a consequence. person looking for something to do, part-time or We chose to move from printing that used soy based inks struction of renewable projects nationwide due prices of solar installa- because the soy is only used for the colors - not black, which is to uncertainty over hostile government policy. tions might not increase as much time as you can give. the most prominent color.... G.E.T:s distribution emissions are In Vermont, 232 full-time jobs were lost in the much after all, and the If you have some free time and a desire to help to also kept to a minimum, as well. With the wonderful help that solar industry alone in a twelve-month period economics of solar we g.e.t. within many communities, it keeps our carbon foot- make a difference, please let us know. print a lower. Hopefully our footprint is offset because we are ending in November 2017, according to the power will almost cer- Help our mission to create a sustainable future for 100% solar powered! Because all of our employees work from Solar Foundation’s National Solar Jobs Census. tainly remain attractive. home, our carbon footprint is kept to a minimum. We grow There is quite a lot of confusion over how It is too early to see how the planet. Serious inquires only. Reply to info@ most of our food organically and live as sustainably as possible. the economics of solar power will go, since the this will play out. greenenergytimes.org or call 802.439.6675. We DO walk our talk! Peace! News & Views WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 February 2018 3 PUT A PRICE ON POLLUTION - What Is the ESSEX Plan? By Michael Shank notion, too. The overwhelming majority of ally, would get additional monthly rebates, and water and harm our health, and require Economists love it. Republicans American citizens want to regulate carbon lowering their electricity costs or travel state-sponsored cleanup, those monies can love it. Democrats love it. Big multi- dioxide as a pollutant. Poll after poll keeps expenses even further. instead be spent on generating thousands national corporations love it. Even telling us this. So, let’s do it. What Vermont does with the reduced car- of new jobs in the state – up to 6,000 to be activists love it. What could possi- National Republican leaders, named bon pollution is the biggest win. Vermont’s exact. above, have suggested starting at $40 a ton share of the over 200,000 American deaths While Vermont should be lauded for bly garner that much affection? and increasing over time. Why $40 per ton? each year due to air pollution is not insub- maintaining America’s highest%age of low- A pragmatic piece of policy that puts a That’s the scientifically calculated cost borne stantial. Over 200 Vermonters die needlessly carbon electric generation, Vermonters can cost on carbon and a price on pollution. It’s by society for each ton of carbon. It’s time each year thanks to the burning of fossil do better. If we want all Vermont utilities to clean and simple. And in Vermont we have we share that burden more fairly. fuels, according to MIT. The ESSEX Plan reach the required 75% renewable energy an opportunity to make it a reality. The ESSEX Plan, which is the Vermont cuts Vermont’s pollution by up to 25% in goal in 15 years, for example, we need to The reality is that we are already paying statewide campaign to put a price on pollut- less than 10 years and by up to 50% in less lead the market transformation – and now. mightily for carbon as taxpayers. Accord- ants, backed by Seventh Generation, Ben & than 35 years. In doing so, we save lives and In doing so, we can also show the country ing to the International Monetary Fund, Jerry’s and key money. For how it’s done and lead where few states governments worldwide will pay well environmen- each Vermont have led before. Americans are desperately over $5 trillion in just one year for carbon’s tal organiza- life saved, ver- looking for national and international lead- costs. That includes direct subsidies to tions, begins sus one lost ership on the climate front, and Vermont has fossil fuel companies as well as costly the pricing of to a pollution- an opportunity to seize that stage and send environmental cleanups and deadly health pollutants at a caused death, a strong message to polluters. impacts. Pollution is expensive and the rate of $5 per the estimates There’s a reason why over 80% of expert cleanup cost is consistently covered by ton in 2018 on the pro- economists think a market-based system taxpayers, not the companies profiting and increases ductivity gains (such a price on carbon) is the most from that pollution. by $5 per – by keeping economically efficient method of reducing If you think that’s an absurd arrange- ton each Vermonters carbon pollution. They understand the ment, you’re not alone. The Economist year until the healthy, free importance of market forces and support Magazine editorial board has consistently price reaches AN ECOMOMY STRENGTHENING from dirty putting a price on anything that comes pollution, and called for polluters to pay by putting a $40 per ton. STRATEGIC ENERGY EXCHANGE with negative spillover effects, such as air price on carbon – as have President While $5 may contributing pollution, and investing in that which has George W. Bush’s Treasury Secretary Hank seem small to society – positive multiplier effects, such as renewable Paulson and former Secretaries of State compared to range from energy. It’s that simple and that sensible. The James Baker III and George Shultz. Billion- what Republicans above are calling for, in hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. ESSEX Plan moves us in that direction and aire and former New York City mayor Mike the first year of implementation, the ESSEX This clear economic argument for kicking makes clear that pollution no longer gets a Bloomberg has been calling for a price on Plan would generate $30 million in electric- dirty carbon to the curb is surpassed only free pass. It’s time to put a price on it rate reductions. by the moral argument for keeping people carbon for over a decade. And even Exxon- Michael Shank, Ph.D, is a resident of Mobil, Shell and BP support one. That’s a lot of money and illustrates the alive. real win-win of such a plan. Those monies But the gains do not stop there. The Brandon, VT and is the communications direc- These Republicans, economists and tor for the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance and multinational corporations all understand go straight back to Vermonters, providing state is currently spending between $1 residents and businesses with significantly billion and $2 billion each year on fossil the Urban Sustainability Directors Network. that from a market perspective you should This article originally appeared on VTDigger. put a price on whatever you want less of lower electricity rates (i.e. 27% lower com- fuel-based products. Thus, incentivizing mercial and industrial rates), as well as Vermont through market mechanisms to com at https://vtdigger.org/2017/12/10/ (e.g. pollution) and support or subsidize michael-shank-put-price-pollution/. whatever you want more of (e.g. renew- rebates for families who need extra support. move away from polluting products and able energy) – not the other way around, For example, families of four earning less toward a cleaner economy will be money Links available in online posting of this which is what we’re currently doing in than $90,000 a year, as well as rural Ver- better spent. Instead of $1 billion to $2 bil- article at www.greenenergytimes.org. America. And the public supports this monters earning less than $75,000 individu- lion spent on products that threaten our air 100% Renewable Energy Worldwide Isn’t Just Possible—It’s Also More Cost-Effective By Lorraine Chow, EcoWatch According to the study, solar power and Here are the key findings of the current Reposted from EcoWatch media associate AlterNet. battery storage are critical parts of the transi- study: Transitioning the world to 100% renewable tion. Falling prices will also lead to widespread • Existing renewable energy potential and electricity isn’t just some environmentalist pipe adoption of the technologies. The researchers technologies, including storage, can generate dream—it’s “feasible at every hour throughout predict that the globe’s electricity mix by 2050 sufficient and secure power to cover the entire the year” and is more cost-effective than the will consist of solar photovoltaics (69%), wind global electricity demand by 2050. The world current system, which largely relies on fossil energy (18%), hydropower (8%) and bioenergy population is expected to grow from 7.3 to fuels and nuclear energy, a new study claims. (2%). 9.7 billion. The global electricity demand for The research, compiled by Finland’s Lap- By following this path, greenhouse gas emis- the power sector is set to increase from 24,310 peenranta University of Technology (LUT) and sions in the electricity sector will come down TeraWatt hours (TWh) in 2015 to around 48,800 the Berlin-based nonprofit Energy Watch Group to zero and drastically reduce total losses in TWh by 2050. (EWG), was presented Wednesday at the Global power generation, the study found. Not only • Total levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) on Renewable Energy Solutions Showcase, a stand- that, the renewable energy transition would a global average for 100% renewable electric- alone event coinciding with the COP 23 climate create 36 million jobs by 2050, 17 million more ity in 2050 is €52/MWh (including curtailment, talks in Bonn, Germany. than today. storage and some grid costs), compared to €70/ The authors said that the existing renewable “There is no reason to invest one more dollar MWh in 2015. energy potential and technologies coupled in fossil or nuclear power production,” EWG • Due to rapidly falling costs, solar PV and with storage can generate enough energy to president Hans-Josef Fell said. “Renewable battery storage increasingly drive most of the meet the global electricity demand by 2050. energy provides cost-effective power sup- electricity system, with solar PV reaching some to zero emissions by 2050 or earlier, as the total The researchers estimated that the switch ply. All plans for a further expansion of coal, 69%, wind energy 18%, hydropower 8% and LCOE of the power system. will bring the total levelized cost of electric- nuclear, gas and oil have to be ceased. More bioenergy 2% of the total electricity mix in 2050 • The global energy transition to a 100% ity on a global average down to €52 ($61) per investments need to be channeled in renew- globally. renewable electricity system creates 36 million megawatt-hour (including curtailment, storage able energies and the necessary infrastructure • Wind energy increases to 32% by 2030. Be- jobs by 2050 in comparison to 19 million jobs in and some grid costs) compared to €70 (82) per for storage and grids. Everything else will lead yond 2030 solar PV becomes more competitive. the 2015 electricity system. megawatt-hour in 2015. to unnecessary costs and increasing global The solar PV supply share increases from 37% in • The total losses in a 100% renewable “A full decarbonization of the electricity warming.” 2030 to about 69% in 2050. electricity system are around 26% of the total system by 2050 is possible for lower system cost This is the not the first time researchers have • Batteries are the key supporting technol- electricity demand, compared to the current than today based on available technology,” said suggested that the planet’s road to 100% re- ogy for solar PV. The storage output covers 31% system in which about 58% of the primary Christian Breyer, the lead author of the study. newables is possible. Earlier this year, Stanford of the total demand in 2050, 95% of which is energy input is lost. University professor Mark Jacobson and 26 covered by batteries alone. Battery storage “Energy transition is no longer a question The research was co-funded by the German of technical feasibility or economic viability, co-authors published a study and created clean provides mainly diurnal storage, and renewable energy roadmaps for 139 individual countries. energy based gas provides seasonal storage. Federal Environmental Foundation and the but of political will,” added Breyer, who is also a Stiftung Mercator. professor of Solar Economy at LUT and serves as The chosen countries emit more than 99% of all • Global greenhouse gas emissions signifi- chairman of EWG’s Scientific Board. carbon dioxide worldwide. cantly reduce from about 11 GtCO2eq in 2015 4 February 2018 WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 Transportation Solutions Are Electric Vehicles and Solar Threats or Saviors to Utilities? By Randy Bryan Electric utilities have resisted renewable lower cost to manufacture electric cars versus power (solar) growth in various ways over combustion cars, and the lower operating the years. Many utilities have seen solar costs of electric cars (less maintenance and installations as a threat to their legacy lower cost of electricity per mile). Added to business model (monopoly-regulated-safe this cost case is the growing list of countries, central supply to secure growing customer states, cities, and companies mandating all base). Solar has been a distributed ad hoc electric vehicles fleets by some future date, to supply source, bleeding demand away the exclusion of combustion vehicles. from the central generating stations, while The typical electric car will need sufficient creating riskier supply. Utilities have feared battery capacity to travel 300-400 miles per this as the early stage of a death spiral where charge (100-150 kWh). But, most people their constant expense base must be paid for average about 50 miles per day (15-20kWh) by ever less revenue and fewer customers. in their primary car and maybe half that for a The business response is to contain the solar second car. To put it another way, the primary problem to a token percentage of business (electric) car will add about a new house (restricting net metering and incentives) worth of load and the second (electric) car and/or to raise rates on the fewer customers about a half house. Much of this charging remaining. However, raising rates would will occur at night, at home. For longer range cause even more customers to leave and/or driving needs, or electric cars without a augment their power supply causing a death convenient nighttime charger, other day-time spiral. charging supply will be needed, likely in the The dropping cost of solar and wind form of gas-station/parking-lot-like charge energy and batteries make renewables sites, which will serve about 20% of the equal or lower cost than utility power, even overall transportation charging needs. without incentives. Batteries allow solar To summarize my case, electric vehicles will power to be demand-driven (base load) cause a significant increase in overall electric rather than supply-driven (when the sun demand (up to 50% more, if all vehicles are shines or wind blows), which may enable electric). Most (80%) of the demand will occur customers to leave the utility completely to at night, with rate incentives, and generate go “off-grid.” additional revenue from existing grid assets, This business view has been widely perhaps stabilizing grid rates. Where vehicle reported and discussed within the industry. charging is needed, external power supply I believe this “death spiral” fear is completely will most certainly be needed, assuring the wrong and is, in my view, a self-conjured continuing and growing need for utilities’ danger. In fact, another recent technology power. trend may make solar a savior of the utilities, The day-time charging needs of rather than their demise. That new trend is electric vehicles could significantly boost electric transportation (electric cars, trucks, the prime-time power or energy demand and buses). and overwhelm the grid as currently built. A To build my case, I offer some background potential solution is to ramp up solar power information: installations (with battery for some buffering) The typical home solar installation is about as a clean and local source of energy that 5kW, yielding about 15kWh of energy in a closely matches the added day-time charging day. The average house load is about 20-25 loads of electric vehicles. Throttling of vehicle kWh per day. So, on average, where houses/ to grid connections is a second order issue businesses can have solar, solar energy and a separate discussion. supply potential is less than existing building I suggest that electric utilities will be saved, demand. And don’t forget, many sites cannot not ruined, by electric vehicles and solar deploy solar due to roof availability such power. And they go together. As such, utilities as orientation, shading, or neighborhood should become active advocates for both restrictions. electric vehicle sales and solar installations, as Enter the electric vehicle, ready or not. the best, cleanest, and safest course toward a Electric vehicles are only about 1% of the profitable and reliable grid future. vehicle market now. But, their market growth Randy Bryan has been an advocate for is expected to mushroom (about 25-30%/ electric cars for 8 plus years. His company, year), equaling 15% by 2025 and 25-30% ConVerdant Vehicles, has converted vehicles to by 2030, eventually replacing combustion plug-in hybrids, including his own Prius in 2008, vehicles all together. This automotive and developed and sold inverters that turn a industry prediction is due to the falling cost Prius into an emergency generator. He is one of and growing capabilities of batteries, the the co-founders of Drive Electric NH. Transportation Solutions WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 February 2018 5 State Electric Car Incentives oming to ermont oon By David Roberts C V S ? Plug-in electric vehi- cles (EVs) are much more efficient than gasoline and diesel-powered vehi- cles and can be powered by renewably generated electricity. EVs can help clean up transportation, one of our dirtiest energy sectors, and help save money on gasoline and maintenance costs for owners. A range of state policies and incentives supporting EV among those offering EV purchase incen- The House bill (H.778) would completely You can learn more about these bills adoption are developing as the numer- tives, but a few have run out of funding exempt both types of electric cars from and their status in the Vermont State- ous benefits of switching from gasoline to for incentives or not offered them in the any sales tax. house at the links below, or by getting in electric become clearer. first place. The table shows more details The Senate bill also calls for imposing a touch with your legislator – especially if Many states are looking to give EVs a on currently available state incentives. supplemental registration fee on plug-in you’re interested in providing feedback boost through their spending plans for Vermont does not currently offer a electric vehicles of $100 for all-electric ve- on the proposed incentives, fees and their VW diesel settlement funds. States state incentive, but two bills are under hicles and $50 for plug-in hybrids to make studies. may spend up to 15% of their settlement consideration in the Vermont House and up for lost gasoline taxes. The proceeds of https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/ proceeds on EV charging stations, with Senate which could change that. These this fee would be split between trans- status/2018/H.778 the remaining 85% available to help sup- bills include several provisions related to portation infrastructure funding and the https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/ port heavy duty electrification of trucks EVs, including a sales tax waiver on EV state Clean Energy Development Fund to status/2018/S.271 and buses. In Vermont, members of the purchases, added EV fees for highway in- go toward building out more charging state legislature have introduced a bill (H. frastructure in lieu of gasoline taxes, plan- infrastructure. David Roberts is the Drive Electric Vermont 682) which would direct the state’s benefi- ning for more charging infrastructure, and The House bill takes a slightly different coordinator. He has driven an all-electric ciary, the Agency of Natural Resources, to exploring ways utilities and regulators can approach to making up for lost gas taxes Nissan LEAF for the past five years and says, invest these settlement funds exclusively help maximize the economic value of the by establishing a 1 cent per kilowatt hour “If you have to drive, drive electric.” in electric-powered options. transition to EVs for the grid. surcharge on EV charging to be contrib- For many individuals the cost of an The Senate bill (S. 271) calls for waiv- uted into the transportation infrastructure EV remains the most difficult barrier to ing the 6% state sales tax on the first fund starting in 2020. The bill would also Share a RiDE. ownership. Federal, state and electric util- $30,000 of an all-electric vehicle or the support EV charging through a state in- ity purchase incentives are helping bring first $15,000 of a plug-in hybrid, reduc- come tax credit of up to $7,200 on a new WaLK. BiKe. down this cost. Many northeast states are ing EV purchase costs by up to $1,800. charging station installation. TaKe a BuS...

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So you enjoy smooth, powerful acceleration and sure, stable handling in all road conditions. Over $28,000 less than the Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, and Volvo Burlington Mitsubishi 802-865-4400 www.mitsubishivt.com 6 February 2018 WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 Transportation Solutions Chrysler Pacifica PHEV SMART COMMUTING IN NH & VT First Affordable Electric Car for Families Transportation emissions are among the worst offenders that add to the rising CO2 By David Roberts levels in our atmosphere. In recent months we have learned that our efforts have begun to reduce the detrimental air quality counts (NHDES), but as you may have learned from The quiet thrill of driving numerous other reports such as the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), http:// electric is reaching new territory climatechange2013.org/, global warming is still advancing faster than expected. this year with the arrival of the How do we get our emissions down now? By making new commuting choices! Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. This is a seven passenger minivan that Lots of choices. Smart Commuting is all about knowing your options and planning goes 33 miles on the battery and ahead. There are many choices to get around in New Hampshire and Vermont, The first up to 570 miles on a full battery place to start in Vermont is “Go Vermont” for statewide choices to travel more efficiently. and a tank of gas. The plug-in Whether getting around town, commuting to work or school, or planning a day trip, hybrid version is rated at 84 miles share the driving or ride with someone else to help save our planet and to save approx. per gallon equivalent – a huge $2,000 annually. The statewide VT site also lists services for commuters, tourist, and shop- improvement over the standard pers. Pacifica’s 22 mpg. the seats, but will need to take them out of the In New Hampshire you’ll find a similar site at “NH Rideshare” where you can find car- Frugal households will enjoy paying the equiva- vehicle if you want to completely open up the pools, transit routes and schedules, bike and walk trails and links to statewide transporta- lent of about $1.50 per gallon of gas when driving cargo area for large objects. tion information. on the battery and may even be able to skip visits The Pacifica is the only minivan earning a When carpooling, remember to use the local Park n Ride lots to meet your connec- to the gas station all together if most daily travel is Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute tions. Start your trip planning at connectingcommuters.org or nh.gov/dot/programs/ within range of the battery. Charging is as easy as for Highway Safety and is available with crash rideshare/ for statewide choices. plugging into a standard 120 volt outlet overnight prevention technology like blind spot alert and or installing a dedicated 240 volt unit for faster forward collision warning systems. In addition to IN NEW HAMPSHIRE charging. Owners will save on maintenance too, the safety technology, it also comes standard with with longer intervals between expensive mainte- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to make it easier UPPER VALLEY RIDESHARE (UVRS) - Carpool matching, benefits and support for com- nance items like brake jobs. to navigate and listen to your favorite tunes in the muters in/out of Upper Valley. 802-295-1824 x208. uppervalleyrideshare.com. Early reviews are giving the Pacifica top marks car. ADVANCE TRANSIT (AT) – Free weekday bus for Lebanon, Hanover, Enfield, Canaan, NH, due to the excellent handling, family-friendly The flexibility of the plug-in hybrid system and Norwich and Hartford, VT. Dartmouth and DHMC Shuttles. ADA & Travel Training features and efficiency. With a starting price of means you never need to worry about running out Services. 802-295-1824. advancetransit.com about $32,500 (after the $7,500 federal tax credit), of charge on the road and with room for kids, dogs CARROLL COUNTY TRANSIT - Services and connections to Belknap County. it is less than the average new car today, and you and cargo this is a great option for van shoppers 888-997-2020 tccap.org/nct.htm may qualify for additional state or electric utility to consider. It is now available at Chrysler deal- incentives that bring the cost down further. Many CITY EXPRESS - Serves Keene. 603-352-8494 hcsservices.org/services/transportation/cityExpress.php ers across the country, with many dealers in the utilities are also offering lower electricity pricing northeast keeping one on hand for test drives. SCS TRANSPORTATION - Services for Sullivan County.. 603-542-9609. SCSHELPS.ORG for charging during off-peak hours to save you You can learn more about the Pacifica Hybrid CONCORD AREA TRANSIT (CAT) - Serves Concord 603-225-1989 concordareatransit.org even more for the life of the vehicle. on the Chrysler website: https://www.chrysler. The battery is located along the bottom of the CONTOOCOOK VALLEY TRANSPORTATION (CVTC) - Monadnock Rideshare for the com/pacifica/hybrid.html southwest region 877-428-2882 cvtc-nh.org vehicle, giving this front-wheel drive model excel- lent traction in winter weather – especially if you David Roberts is the Drive Electric Vermont COOPERATIVE ALLIANCE FOR REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION (CART) - Serving invest in winter tires. About the only thing missing coordinator. He has driven an all-electric car for the Chester, Derry, Hampstead, Londonderry, Salem and Windham, limited service to the past 5 years and says if you have to drive, drive Plaistow. 603-434-3569 cart-rides.org are the “Stow and Go” seats which fold into the floor on the non-hybrid model. You can still move electric. DARTMOUTH COACH - Services to Boston, Logan Airport and NYC 800-637-0123 dart- mouthcoach.com MANCHESTER TRANSIT AUTHORITY (MTA) - Manchester, with links to Nashua and Concord. 603-623-8801 mtabus.org/services/local-buses MID-STATE REGIONAL RIDE RESOURCE DIRECTORY - Services elknap-Merrimack Counties, excluding Hooksett and the towns of Deering, Hillsborough and Windsor of Hillsborough County. 603.225.3295 x1201. midstatercc.org NASHUA TRANSIT SYSTEM (NTS) - Buses and trolleys with bike racks. 603-888-0100 RideBigBlue.com NH RIDESHARE – Your Source for Transportation Alternatives. nh.gov/dot/programs/ride- share/ IN VERMONT UPPER VALLEY TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (Vital Communi- ties) - Works with UV employers and communities to promote and improve commuting options. 802-291-9100 vitalcommunities.org/transport/index.htm VERMONT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC TRANSIT - Lists transit, ferries and more at aot.state.vt.us/PublicTransit/providers.htm AMTRAK - Long distance train service. Discounts for AAA members and student advan- tage card. (800) 872-7245 amtrak.com CHITTENDEN COUNTY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY - Burlington bus service with links to Montpelier, Middlebury and commuter route to Milton. cctaride.org CONNECTICUT RIVER TRANSIT - Services in Bellows Falls and Springfield. crtransit.org GO VERMONT - Offers carpool matching and commuter connections in VT 800-685- 7433 connectingcommuters.org GREEN MOUNTAIN RAILROAD - Day trips from White River, Champlain Valley, Bellows Falls and Rutland. rails-vt.com GREEN MOUNTAIN TRANSIT AGENCY - Local service in Barre, Montpelier, Grand Isle, Stowe and Lamoille. 802-223-7287 gmtaride.org GREY HOUND/VERMONT TRANSIT - Long distance bus services. 1-800-231-2222 grey- hound.com/ LAKE CHAMPLAIN FERRIES - Transport between New York and Vermont via Lake Cham- plain. 802-864-9804 ferries.com MARBLE VALLEY REGIONAL TRANSIT- For Rutland, Killington, rural Manchester, Poult- ney and Rutland to Bellows Falls. City routes Free on Saturday. 802-773-3244 thebus.com/ RURAL COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION (RCT) - Buses, vans, and volunteer drivers. Routes via The Jay-Lyn, The Highlander (Newport - Derby Line); The US RT2 Commuter (St. J. to Montpelier) and Free routes to rural areas. 802-748-8170 riderct.org STAGE COACH - Commuter buses from Randolph and Fairlee to Dartmouth, Local village buses. 800-427-3553 stagecoach-rides.org Transportation Solutions -- Energy News WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 February 2018 7 2 Affordable Tech Marvels Dominate Greenest Vehicles List Two Big National Wins for For those who like clean vehicles with Hybrids also make an ap- state-of-the-art technology, or simply want to pearance on the Greenest list, Greener Choices Vehicle Green Reducing Fossil Fuel Use reduce their environmental footprint, today’s with Toyota’s Prius lineup and Class Score market has good news. A variety of affordable, Hyundai’s Ioniq hybrid variants – For Geothermal and efficient, tech-smart cars and trucks are now performing well. The Kia Niro 1. Toyota Camry Midsize car 62 on the market, giving American consumers plug-in hybrid, using the same Hybrid LE plenty of options for buying a greener vehicle. drivetrain as the Ioniq, and the Building Efficiencies! At greenercars.org, the American Council for an Chevrolet Volt plug-in with an 2. Kia Niro FE Small wagon 61 Geothermal Heat Pump Tax Credits and 179D Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released its impressive 53-mile electric-only Commercial Buildings Energy Efficiency Tax 21st annual GreenerCars vehicle ratings to help range, both return to the Green- 3. Toyota Prius C Compact car 61 Deduction Approved by Congress consumers make that choice. On February 9, 2018, the U.S. geothermal est List, as well. 4. Ford C-Max Hybrid Large Car 55 For the second year, the mid-sized Hyundai For the third consecutive year, heat pump (GHP) industry scored a victory for Ioniq Electric takes the top spot on the Green- the Greenest List is populated 5. Toyota Yaris iA Subcompact 55 its workforce as federal legislation was passed to extend federal tax credits for residential and est List, achieving the highest-ever Green Score completely by vehicles with Car of 70. The Ioniq brings high efficiency in a some form of electric powertrain commercial installations of GHPs. The measure practical size, earning its place at the top of our and contains no vehicle with 6. Nissan Rogue Medium SUV 52 was included in the continuing resolution Greenest List. The Mercedes-Benz Smart Fortwo an internal combustion engine Hybrid spending bill approved by Congress. Electric Drive, BMW i3 BEV, Kia Soul Electric, (ICE) alone. Manufacturers have The reinstated GHP tax credits are retroactive Ford Focus Electric, and Honda Clarity also earn made impressive strides in the 7. Honda CR-V Small SUV 50 to January 1, 2017, and extend to January 1, places among the greenest vehicles for sale efficiency of ICEs, but adding a 2022. The language also changes an important today. small degree of electrification 8. Mercedes-Benz Medium 48 consideration for commercial GHP projects, Perhaps the most buzzworthy automotive can further reduce environ- GLA250 Wagon making them eligible if commenced by January news of the last year was the introduction of mental impact over the life of a 1, 2022 rather than placed in service. the all-new Tesla Model 3, which joins the Chev- vehicle. Even when considering 9. Lexus RX 450h Large SUV 46 “Today’s action by Congress finally fixes the rolet Bolt (ranked sixth) as the second electric the emissions from the produc- inequity created two years ago when tax credits vehicle (EV) that consumers can purchase for tion of batteries, electrified cars 10. Chevrolet Colorado Compact 42 for solar installations were extended through less than $40,000 (before tax credits) and drive and trucks take claim as the most / GMC Canyon Pickup 2021,” stated Geothermal Exchange Organiza- more than 200 miles on a full charge. The Model environmentally friendly vehicles Diesel tion (GEO) President and CEO Doug Dougherty. 3 Long Range claims the fourth spot with a available today. “Credits for technologies including GHPs, fuels score of 67. Greenercars.org also identifies 11. Ford F-150 Base Standard 41 cells, microturbines, small wind and combined The following vehicles make up the Greenest practical options in each class Payload Pickup heat and power were left to expire at the end List for 2018, representing the most environ- among the top widely available of 2016.” Chrysler Pacifica Minivan 41 mentally friendly cars for sale today. Each car is automatic transmission gasoline 12. In addition to reinstating the GHP tax credits, given a Green Score based on an environmental or diesel models, because the EPAct 179D (Commercial Buildings Energy damage index (EDX), which reflects the cost vehicles on the Greenest list may Efficiency Tax Deduction) which enables to human health from air pollution associated not meet the needs of every individual or may able for free in the greenercars.org interactive building owners to claim a tax deduction for with vehicle manufacturing, the production not be widely available. The Greener Choices database, along with each configuration’s fuel installing qualifying systems and buildings, and distribution of fuel, and vehicle tailpipes. List includes both conventional vehicles and economy, health-related pollution impacts, has been retroactively extended to include traditional hybrids, but excludes and greenhouse gas emissions. Visitors to the projects completed in 2017. This tax deduc- plug-in hybrids and pure battery tion of $1.80/s.f. is available to owners of new Greenest Green Score database can build custom lists for comparing electric vehicles that require vehicles. Greenercars.org also features a write-up or existing buildings who install (1) interior the availability of a charger to lighting; (2) building envelope, or (3) heating, 1. Hyundai Ioniq Electric 70 on model year 2018 market trends, a consumer maximize efficiency. primer on vehicles and the environment, and cooling, ventilation, or hot water systems that The Greener Choices list reduce the building’s total energy and power 2. Mercedes-Benz Smart 69 advice on how to buy green when shopping for a demonstrates that consumers new car or truck. cost by 50% or more in comparison to a build- Fortwo Electric Drive can make greener choices, even Updates to this year’s methodology include ing meeting minimum requirements set by if their vehicle needs aren’t met new estimates of emissions associated with The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating 3. BMW i3 BEV (94 Ah) 68 by those on the Greenest List. electricity production, as well as updated emis- and Air-Conditioning Engineers. Deductions of The new Toyota Camry Hybrid, $0.60/s.f. are available to owners of buildings 4. Tesla Model 3 Long Range 67 sions from the manufacturing and recycling of which just misses the Greenest vehicles. in which individual lighting, building envelope, List, shows up on the Greener or heating and cooling systems that partially To read the news release online, visit http://bit.ly/ 5. Kia Soul Electric 66 Choices list as a high-scoring qualify by meeting certain target levels. ACEEE_GreenCars2018. option for buyers looking for a 6. Chevrolet Bolt EV 66 mid-size car. Greener Choices The American Council for an Energy-Efficient also highlights green options Economy (ACEEE) acts as a catalyst to advance 7. Hyundai Ioniq Blue 65 for trucks and SUVs for those energy efficiency policies, programs, technologies, investments, and behaviors. For information 8. buyers who need the extra Toyota Prius Eco 64 space, including the rear-wheel- about ACEEE and its programs, publications, and conferences, visit aceee.org. 9. Ford Focus Electric 64 drive 2.7-liter Ford F-150 and Honda CR-V. 10. Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid 63 The Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Meanest Green Score 11. Honda Clarity Plug-in 62 Canyon Diesel earned a score 1. Mercedes-Benz G550 19 Hybrid of 42, and the 2. Mercedes-Benz AMG G65 22 Chrysler Pacifica 12. Chevrolet Volt 62 minivan returns 3. Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 25 with a score of 41. While plug- 4. Jeep Grand Cherokee 25 The automotive industry is producing a ins are excluded from Greener TrackHawk 4x4 variety of cars and trucks with highly efficient Choices, it’s worth noting that electrified drivetrains. Electrified drivetrains -in the Pacifica plug-in hybrid option 5. Toyota Sequoia FFV 27 corporate an electric motor and battery, driving scored an impressive 55 and is entirely on electricity in the case of a pure EV, cost-competitive with the gas- 6. Toyota Tundra FFV 28 or in conjunction with a traditional gasoline or oline-only version when federal diesel engine in the case of hybrids and plug-in incentives are factored in. 7. RAM 1500 28 hybrids. Greenercars.org also provides “Automakers have brought an impressive a Meanest List, populated this 8. Lexus LX 570 28 number of highly efficient vehicles to market, year - as usual - by large SUVs, giving American consumers more choices, well-equipped pickup trucks, 9. Nissan Armada 28 whether they are looking for a compact car or a heavier medium-duty vehicles, fully-loaded pickup,” said Eric Junga, Trans- and European luxury cars that 10. Mercedes-Benz AMG 28 portation Research Analyst at ACEEE. “And as are the least friendly to the GLS63 electric vehicles become more affordable and environment. more enticing thanks to increased range and Green Scores of the 1,500- 11. Toyota Land Cruiser Wagon 28 state-of-the-art features, sales are really picking plus configurations of all model up steam.” year 2018 vehicles are avail- 12. Dodge Durango SRT 28 8 February 2018 WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 Solar Photovoltaics What’s Up With this Solar Tariff Deal, Anyway? By George Harvey they have been seri- About 52,800 MW of this was installed in China. ously harmed by the By contrast, according to the Federal Energy imports.” Regulatory Commission, the U.S. installed 6,295 In fact, the tariffs MW of solar panels in the first eleven months were placed on all im- of the year. ported solar cells and Even given that December’s additions are panels, with specified usually very high, it is hard to imagine that U.S. countries’ products installations could be even 10% of the world to- exempted. Notably, tal for the year. China, by contrast, used up over the countries whose 62% of the panels produced in the world, over solar products are six times as much as what the U.S. installed. subject to the tariff The thing that makes this particularly bitter include all major U.S. is that it is entirely our own fault. While China suppliers, Germany, was supporting its renewable industries and re- China, Italy, and Ja- ducing pollution, the U.S. was questioning the pan, along with such value of renewables, ignoring climate change, trading allies as South permitting increased pollution, and putting Korea, Taiwan, the efforts into fracking. Philippines, Canada, Part of the bad news is that the tariff really and Mexico. does not right a wrong, and since that is the Last August, the case, its only effect is to provide temporary attorneys repre- support for uncompetitive businesses. It senting Suniva and makes those companies’ products more able to SolarWorld claimed compete in the U.S. market, but it will not help that imposing a tariff them get ready to sell in the rest of the world. on solar panels would There is some good news in all of this. The create nearly 115,000 tariff covers 30% of the cost of the solar panels. jobs in the US, includ- Since the panels are probably about 25% to ing 45,000 manu- 40% of the total system cost, the increase is facturing jobs, some only about 7.5% to 12% of the overall cost. This large number of organizations are getting to- portion of which means that the cost of a system is still probably gether intentionally to reduce the costs of solar would be making lower than it would have been a year ago, while installations in this country. At least some of solar panels. Some- the price of natural gas is rising. Solar installa- the ideas floated in the early part of this effort Green roof on PS 41 in Greenwich Village. Photo by Aloha Jon, Wikimedia Commons. how, they envisioned tions are already clearly saving money in most include increased local assembly. increasing the costs of circumstances, and they will continue to do so. The tariffs will hurt someone. They will prob- solar panels having the Another thing to consider is the backlash ably have nearly no effect on China. We can The United States will impose a 30% tariff effect of increasing other jobs related to the U.S. against the tariffs in this country. Under the only wait to see who has been hurt and how on imported solar panels. The tariff comes solar industry by over 65,000. I find this impos- leadership of the Rocky Mountain Institute, a much. about because of complaints from two com- sible to believe. panies with U.S. factories, both claiming that The Solar Energy Industries Association Chinese competition is unfair. One, Suniva, is (SEIA) said there are only about 1,000 people a bankrupt subsidiary of a Chinese company. working on making solar panels in the U.S. It The other, SolarWorld Americas, is a subsidiary also said that increasing the costs of panels will of a bankrupt German manufacturer. have a depressing effect on the solar industry. Contrary to what many people have It calculated the job losses at 88,000 from the thought, this case is not about illegal or unfair solar industry, mostly installers. While other trade practices in China. Zachary Shahan organizations calculate other numbers, some of • INSTALLATIONS • SALES • SERVICE • DESIGN • made this clear in a post at CleanTechnica. them much lower, the tariff does not appear to com, in which he said, “The new tariffs have bode well for U.S. employment. Roof Mounts, nothing to do with dumping or Chinese subsi- While the tariffs on solar panels will probably Ground Mounts dies or China doing anything unfair or illegal. increase the prices of most solar systems in the The new solar tariffs are being put on Chinese U.S., they will have the no immediate effect on Trackers solar cells and solar panels only because they the rest of the world. In 2017, world installa- grid-tie, off-grid, grid-tie are cheap and two solar companies claim tions of solar panels came to about 85,000 MW. battery backup solutions New lithium storage/battery options for your grid-tie system 802.522.2381 • 30% Federal Tax Credits • www.omearasolar.com • [email protected] Serving Orange County, VT, Grafton County NH, & the surrounding areas

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603-632-1263 www.energyemp.com Solar Electric Ground Array Solar Photovoltaics (PV) WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 February 2018 11 NH’s Largest Solar Array Goes Online By Barbara Whitchurch through New Clean Energy Renewable NHEC’s members a reliable source of Bonds from the U.S. Treasury Department. renewable energy at a fixed cost, with a “Although it will cover a small portion of projected lifespan of a quarter century or our members’ total electricity needs, one longer,” of the biggest benefits of this project is the Camerino said the Moultonborough so- price stability it offers,” said NHEC President lar project builds on the co-op’s experience and CEO Steve Camerino, in a statement. operating two smaller solar photovoltaic “Wholesale power prices can vary widely,” systems at its district offices in Raymond he continued, “but this project will provide and Sunapee, and may Cont’d on p.33

With the Ossipee Mountains in the background, the state’s largest solar array is making energy at Moultonborough Neck where the New Hampshire Electric Co-Op has finalized the construction of a two-megawatt system. (John Koziol)

In an article published in the New the company to explore utility scale battery Hampshire Union Leader on December 25, storage programs. NHEC is a member- 2017, correspondent John Koziol described owned electric distribution cooperative the efforts of the New Hampshire Electric serving 84,000 homes and businesses in Co-op in Moultonborough to bring the 115 New Hampshire communities. It is cur- state’s largest solar array online, an effort rently the largest solar electric array in the he described as “close to success.” Granite State. Today, the NHEC Moultonborough Solar The $5 million 2-megawatt ground- Project, the state’s largest solar PV array, mounted solar photovoltaic system is online and producing power. The 2 MW includes 7,200 panels and 40 inverter. The array features 7,200 panels over 12 acres of system is expected to produce 3.3 million land in Moultonborough, New Hampshire kilowatt hours of electricity per year. near an NHEC substation off Shaker Jerry Wheeler added that the co-op says the Road on Moultonborough Neck. array will save members nearly $300,000 a According to co-op spokesman Seth year by reducing the amount of electricity Wheeler, the electricity generated at the the co-op buys on the wholesale market. It site is enough to power approximately 600 will also generate renewable energy credits homes, including 84,000 members in 115 to meet New Hampshire’s Renewable cities and towns. NHEC plans to use the Portfolio Standard and allow the co-op to array to help offset peak power costs, as explore battery-storage technology. well as save on transmission and capacity The project, which represents the co-op’s costs. It will also provide an opportunity for initial foray into making energy, is financed 12 February 2018 WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 Renewable Energy – Battery Storage Batteries: Lead-Acid vs. Lithium “The times they are a-changin’” - Bob Dylan By N. R. Mallery and George Harvey important, because you need to know that by the battery’s BMS. There are other Until recently, the choice for battery stor- the battery you have will support all the outstanding lithium age of renewable energy generation has loads you want it to power. technologies avail- mostly been with lead-acid options. Today, 3. What is the depth of discharge (DOD)? able, however, with all the new battery technologies This tells what part of the total energy the without concerns of touted as the greatest and the latest, many battery holds can be used before it should overheating. There are asking, “What is the best battery for my be recharged. are many to choose application?” 4. What is the expected life of the battery, from, but we are most In the past, if you wanted a battery which is measured by cycles of charge and familiar with RELiON, backup system for on or off-grid storage, discharge? Also, what are the warranty SimpliPhi, Sonnen, the answer was clearly lead-acid battery Before: System with lead-acid batteries in need of replacement. terms? and Iron Edison, which options. Today, however, battery technol- Knowing the answers to these ques- are all brands that we ogy is one of the most heavily researched tions will not give you all the information recommend. They all offer lithium-iron- subjects of science. Scientists constantly you need to make decisions, but they are phosphate batteries (called LiFePO4). These look for less expensive, lighter, and safer a good start. Other things to consider batteries are readily available and have systems. It leaves many of us not knowing are often related to the place the battery some significant advantages for a home which way to turn. system will be installed, and the attention or business. They are safe, reliable, and Nevertheless, one of the interest- it will require. They include the weight, not ecologically hazardous, and require a ing things about this is that old, reliable physical size, operating temperature range, considerably smaller space than lead-acid technologies often still have their places. need to vent for generated gases, cost rela- options for the same amount of storage. Perhaps a much better question should be, tive to capacity, need for maintenance, the After much research, co-author N. “How can I tell what the best battery for my ability to hold a charge when not in use, R. Mallery is currently in the process of application is?” and more. replacing her current bank of 24-2V lead- John Hassell, of Be Green Solar, in Ben- The biggest recent changes for home acid batteries for the third time since her ton, New Hampshire, helped us out on this. energy storage are due to new lithium system was built in 2002. The new bank will “There are a lot of things you need to know battery technology. Most famously, Tesla consist of just two to four lithium batter- about,” he said, “but four are at the top of has introduced its PowerWall 2 battery, ies. Their initial higher cost will be more the list.” which cut the price of lithium-ion batteries. than compensated for due to their 16 to 25 1. What is the battery capacity? This is Though they are great batteries for many year lifespan alone. During that time, they expressed in amp-hours. By multiplying the circumstances, they are not perfect for all. will need no maintenance. Where most number of amp-hours times the voltage, we They are not recommended for off-grid ap- lead-acid batteries can only be discharged can find the amount of energy the battery plications, for example. Part of the reason 50% without damage, the lithium batteries can store in watt-hours. for this appears to be that the lithium-ion can be discharged to 70% to 80%, or even 2. What is the discharge rate for the stated technology they use requires active cool- completely with some brands. Unlike lead- capacity? This is the rate of how fast the ing. Without cooling, temperature control acid batteries, lithium batteries maintain After: The same system with new lithium batteries. batteries can be discharged. This is becomes an issue and must be managed a relatively flat voltage as Courtesy photos: John Hassell. Cont’d on p.25 Renewable Energy WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 February 2018 13 Tracking Solar in the Pioneer Valley Northhampton and By George Harvey Amherst, MA Vote to his experience, he said, “It is an amazing system. One thing that makes it is so amazing Go 100% Renewable is that I never have to think about it.” He clearly By Green Energy Times Staff does enjoy thinking about it from time to time, however. When we talked with him he had just Two Massachusetts communities, Northamp- taken a look at its output. “It was 7,100 watts ton and Amherst, have voted to join the growing at 4:00 pm.” That is not bad for a late afternoon list of towns and cities committed to getting in the winter, considering that the tracker with 100% of their energy from renewable sources. 24 panels, each of 300 watts, has a total rated The Northampton City Council voted unani- capacity of 7,200 watts. mously to commit to a goal of 100% renewable Stacy Bond, another customer, said, “We energy for the community at a meeting on Janu- don’t pay any electricity bill, which is fabulous.” ary 18th. The action was reaffirmed at a meeting She also praised Claire Chang for her ability to on February 2nd. The resolution provided for answer questions clearly. developing a plan to achieve the goal, which Chang was careful to point out that trackers would include the time-line for completion. To cannot be installed just anywhere. A site evalu- do that, the city will begin by studying the chal- ation is one of the first steps toward having a lenges and benefits of the action. solar system installed. They may require spe- The resolution passed in Northampton was cial permitting in some communities and are drafted with help from the environmental group, subject to rules covering a range from zoning Clito mate Action Now. It had also been sup- to wetland conservation. It is also necessary ported by the Mayor’s Youth Commission and for the location to be shade-free from about the city’s Energy and Sustainability Commission. 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM to take full advantage of Earlier, the town of Amherst had also voted to the tracking systems. Even so, many locations get 100% of the energy for the town’s new and are suitable for them, and Chang said about expanded buildings from renewable sources. half of SSG’s installations use them. The resolution had been brought before the The website for Solar Store of Greenfield is town meeting, where it passed by a vote of 123 to 54 on November 8th. There had been a grow- Solar tracking system in a field of flowers. Photos by Stephanie Williams, Solar Store of Greenfield. http://solarstoreofgreenfield.com/. ing awareness in Amherst of buildings with low energy use because of the Kern Center and the Many people who are interested in installing maximum output is steep. Chang said, “The Hitchcock Center for the Environment, both of solar systems at their homes think in terms of tracker’s curve is a very broad peak through a which are in net-zero buildings, on the Hamp- an array mounted on the roof, or one mounted sunny day. It is shaped like a sandwich bread shire College campus. At the same town meet- on the ground in a fixed position, pointing at loaf.” ing, voters adopted a resolution to take Amherst the average position of the noonday sun. If There is more to the tracker’s motions than 100% renewable energy use by 2050. they want to get the maximum value out of that, however. The mount has an anemometer Amherst and Northampton are by no means their solar panels, however, they might want to keep track of wind speed. When the winds the only communities in Massachusetts that are to consider going beyond these two scenarios get too strong, (upwards of 30 miles per hour), committed to goals of 100% renewable energy. and think of a third alternative, solar trackers. the array moves into a horizontal position. This Cambridge, Framingham, Leverett, Lowell, Tracking mounts are more expensive than not only prevents the wind from damaging Salem, and Wendell have done so by passing fixed mounts, so they add to the overall cost the solar panels by not pulling and pushing on resolutions and warrant articles. Concord, Mas- of installation. On the other hand, they can them, it also makes them much less vulner- sachusetts has committed to getting 100% of its be the more economical choice. They make able to being hit by wind-blown objects. The electricity from renewable power, and Hingham far more efficient use of the investment into system is rated to withstand winds of up to has committed to getting 100% from carbon- solar panels, because they produce consider- 120 miles per hour. free sources. ably more electricity from the same amount Another issue for solar systems is snow The reasons to move to 100% renewable of sunshine. They produce about 35% to 40% loads. The AllEarth Renewable trackers auto- energy are numerous, and with the declining more electricity from the same number of matically shed snow by pointing north and costs of renewable power, there are no reasons solar panels. setting the panels at a steep angle. not to do so. A number of resource organiza- Claire Chang and John Ward, who operate SSG is not a big business, and it shares tions have helped these communities make their the Solar Store of Greenfield (SSG) in Green- work with partners. The trackers are mounted commitments to clean energy. A toolkit to help is field, Massachusetts, have been installing on concrete bases, with preparation and available from Mass Power Forward at http://bit. tracking systems made by AllEarth Renew- installation done by Renaisance Excavating, Tracker drive unit. Credit: Solar Store of Greenfield. ly/roadto100percent. ables in Williston, Vermont since 2014. Chang in Gill, Massachusetts. SSG also partners with explained the advantage of tracking. “The pro- Torrico Electric in Sheffield, Massachusetts for duction curve from a fixed array is a bell curve,” electrical work. By doing this, SSG is able to Chang said. That is because a fixed system is focus specifically on getting to the best solar only pointing directly at the sun at noon. By solutions for a given site. Follow the Sun contrast, the tracking system points its panels Customers we have talked with are very directly at the sun as soon as the sun appears, pleased with their systems. Joseph Graveline into the Future and it keeps them pointing directly at the sun had his system installed in the spring of 2015 until the sun sets, so the change to and from and saw it come online in June. Asked about

Quality and reliability you can count on. AllEarth Trackers are engineered and made in VT. 2 Fiske Avenue A system that’s effective and efficient every day. Greenfield, MA Not effected by tariffs. 413.772.3122 Artist: Christine Pellerin solarstoreofgreenfield.com 14 February 2018 WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 RENEWABLE ENERGY - NEW YORK

Bringing Solar Power in NYS Exceeds 1,000% Growth G.E.T. to NY! • Since 2011, Solar Growth Leveraged $2.8 Billion in Private Investment, fueling 12,000 jobs Across the State nyses.org • Increased Capacity Supports Governor’s Mandate for 50% of Energy Consumed to Come from Renewable Energy by 2030

On February 6, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo state-supported solar project in New York schools combating climate change bringing in substantial Valley, Mid-Hudson, Central New York and the announced that solar power in New York and providing students with the opportunity for investment from the private sector which has Capital Region. increased more than 1,000% from December hands-on learning in the industry. Investing in so- fueled impressive solar growth over the past six The table highlights the significant expan- 2011 to December 2017, leveraging more than lar is part of New York’s strategy to boost renew- years.” sion of solar power under NYSERDA in each re- $2.8 billion in private investment into New able energy while creating jobs of the future.” The significant growth of solar power is attrib- gion of the state from the end of 2011 through York’s growing clean energy economy. Solar is The more than 1,000% solar growth in the state uted to a combination of factors, including the the end of December 2017. critical to achieving the Governor’s mandate over the last six years was supported by the New NY-Sun Megawatt Block Incentive program and a Long Island now has approximately 420 for half of all electricity consumed to come York State Energy Research and Development decline in solar equipment prices and a growing megawatts of installed solar capacity, enough from renewable energy sources by 2030 and Authority through the $1 billion NY-Sun program, solar installation industry. to power more than 70,000 average homes. cements New York as one of the national lead- the New York Power Authority, and Long Island Alicia Barton, NYSERDA President and CEO, Many of these projects received funding ers in clean energy growth. Power Authority. 972.2 megawatts (78,323 solar said, “Today’s remarkable milestone of 1000% through the NY-Sun program or PSEG Long “Solar is a vital part of this state’s clean projects) were installed through the end of solar growth demonstrates that, under Governor Island solar programs. Long Island is the first energy future and we have experienced December 2017, compared with 83 megawatts Cuomo’s leadership, New York is rapidly march- New York region to meet the State’s mega- unprecedented growth in this new sector,” (8,989 projects) through the end of 2011. The ing towards our commitment to meet 50% of watt block target for the residential market, Governor Cuomo said. “We will continue to current projects produce enough electricity that our statewide electricity needs with renewable underscoring the effectiveness and success support the development of solar, helping to would be sufficient to meet the needs of more energy by 2030. Solar energy is increasingly the of NY-Sun and the other Long Island utility spur economic growth, creating new jobs and than 159,000 average homes. first choice for consumers who want to reduce programs. The residential momentum across helping to build a cleaner, greener and more Today’s announcement also is another carbon emissions while lowering their energy Long Island is expected to continue because sustainable New York for all.” example of how solar is growing across the state bills and these projects are creating thousands of federal and state tax credits, affordable The announcement was made by Lieuten- into every community, supporting the Governor’s of good quality jobs all across our state- it’s a win financing for underserved communities, and ant Governor Kathy Hochul at McKinley High 2018 State of the State proposal to expand more for customers, communities, for the environment an established market of solar developers. School in Buffalo, where she also lauded what solar into communities for low income custom- and our economy.” In addition to the more than 1,000% in- is currently the largest state-supported solar ers, advancing their participation in the growing The largest percentage increase in solar power crease of completed projects, there are 1,097 project in a school district in New York State. clean energy economy and protecting their was in New York City, followed by the Mohawk MW of solar projects currently under develop- The nineteen solar installations at Buffalo environments from ment statewide. If built, those installations public schools total nearly three megawatts. the harmful effects of would produce enough energy to power more Projects are installed and operational at 18 climate change. than 186,000 average homes. locations with the one remaining solar project Richard L. Kauffman, In that pipeline are 728 megawatts of expected to be operational in the coming Chairman of Energy community solar projects that will expand months. In total, the projects are anticipated and Finance for New the market to residents who cannot put solar to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more York said, “A 1000% panels on their own homes. New York also than 1,700 metric tons annually, the equivalent growth in solar shows receives on average 900 applications monthly to removing more than 370 cars from the road. how viable and af- for residential systems. “Governor Cuomo has committed New York fordable clean energy In 2014, Governor Cuomo made a historic to lead by example in our pursuit of fighting technologies have commitment of nearly $1 billion to NY-Sun to climate change and achieving bold clean becomeBlock inIsland the State Wind Farm stimulate the marketplace and increase the energy goals, and this 1,000% solar growth for consumers and number of solar electric systems across the milestone is a significant marker of progress,” public and private enti- State over 10 years. NY-Sun aims to add a total Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul said. “I ties. Under Governor of three gigawatts of installed solar capacity in commend the Buffalo Public School System Cuomo and our nation- the State by 2023. (One gigawatt equals 1,000 for recognizing the importance of reducing its leading clean energy megawatts.) New York now has more than carbon footprint and for combining educa- initiatives, New York 12,000 workers engaged in solar jobs. tion with operation, installing the largest is leading the way in Read more at http://bit.ly/1000-percent- growth-solar-power-new-york. Plummeting Cost of Solar Plus Storage By George Harvey 6¢/kWh. By contrast, the least expensive fossil Watching the progress of a no-hitter in base- fuel, combined cycle natural gas, is in a range ball has an unusual aspect to it. The exciting from 4.2¢/kWh to 7.8¢/kWh. thing is that nothing new happens. The mo- The bids for the Xcel solicitation are far ment the game changes, the excitement ends. lower. For the median bids, meaning that half That is how it has been with the prices of of the bids were at or above the figure, and electricity from renewable power. The costs half were at it or lower, the cost for wind power of solar and wind power have just kept going was 1.81¢/kWh. For wind power with battery down. And since they have just kept doing backup, the median cost was 2.1¢/kWh. that, we could see that sooner or later, a situ- This means that half the bids for wind ation called “grid parity,” the point at which power, with batteries, were below a price that further investment in fossil fuels becomes was only half the lowest cost for the least increasingly uneconomical, would be achieved. expensive fossil fuel. A list of other prices is Now, the whole game for renewable available in the article, “This is How Wind and energy is changing. But unlike the no-hitter, Solar Energy will Crush Fossil Fuels,” at the where a hit could spoil the excitement, it has investment site, Motley Fool. It can be found at become even more exciting. The prices bid for http://bit.ly/crushing-fossil-fuels. electricity from solar photovoltaics (PVs), wind There are many caveats about these num- power, and batteries have not hit record lows bers. The Xcel bids were not levelized, and so that could have been predicted. They have hit are not directly comparable to those at Lazard, new lows at levels few people imagined only though we should note that the incentives and months ago. tax credits will run out well before 2022, so we Xcel Energy operates four utilities in eight can assume that they have no effects on the states, mostly in the Midwest. Last year, it bids. The people making the bids are doing decided to close down some coal-fired gener- various combinations of PVs, wind power, and report levelized costs of electricity, meaning that so based on estimates of how the prices will ating plants, and put out bids for capacity to batteries. the costs of subsidies and tax breaks are included change. We do not know what effects will be replace them. As shocking as the size of the solicitation was, to make overall costs comparable, and the prices from the tariffs President Trump ordered on The amount of power to be bid on was it was the bids themselves that were most impres- they cite are for the wholesale market. solar panels, and there are other contingencies huge. They asked for proposals on 238 proj- sive. The bids for wind, solar, and batteries were I have translated them here to prices in cents we cannot judge. ects, with a total of over 58 gigawatts, to be astonishingly low. per kilowatt-hour (¢/kWh), because that is what Nevertheless, it is clear that times are chang- completed within five years. Of the total in the We should review the numbers from Lazard most people are used to. They put the cost of ing rapidly. We are entering a time fossil fuels bids, less than 6% was to be powered by fossil Associates to put the new numbers into context. utility-scale solar power in 2017 in the range of are no longer competitive with renewables. fuels. Stand-alone battery storage accounted The most recent were published last November 4.3¢/kWh to 5.3¢/kWh. With battery backup, solar They are not even in the same ballpark. for 3.3%. Nearly all of the rest consisted of and can be found at http://bit.ly/LCOE-11. They is put at 8.2/¢/kWh. Wind power is at 3¢/kWh to RENEWABLE ENERGY WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 February 2018 15

mately 1,000 tonnes, and its weight holds the By Joan Rech one of its kind in North America, and it likely Tidal Power will be the only one of its kind. It was built only device securely to the bottom of the chan- because the dam already existed. nel. Electrical control modules convert the In 2007, Nova Scotia’s Department of Energy output of the device to alternating current in initiated a process to look at the tides them- synchronization with the grid, and underwa- selves as a potential source of energy. Deter- ter transmission cables deliver the power to a mined not to repeat the mistakes of the past, substation on shore. community outreach and participation were The turbine is lowered into place from an part of the process from its inception. A panel OpenHydro-designed barge and deploy- of stakeholders (including area residents and ment/recovery platform which allows for businesses, municipal governments, fishermen, micro-siting within the berth area. It oper- representatives of the Mi’kmaq community) ates at a slow speed, 6 to 8 rotations per were assembled to develop guidelines. The minute. Because of the slow speed, there are panel agreed on three principles: no pressure changes in its vicinity. In addi- Nothing will be installed that cannot be tion, it uses no oil, so there is no potential for removed (i.e., NO MORE DAMS). spills or contamination. The turbine operates Installation will be done incrementally. continuously, both when the tide is flowing The effects on currents, sedimentation and in and flowing out. marine life will be thoroughly monitored. The turbine has a projected life span of This led to the creation of the Fundy Ocean 15 years with maintenance scheduled every Research Centre for Energy (FORCE), a test 5 years. It is estimated that the two 2-mega- center for in-stream tidal in the Minas Passage, a watt turbines will replace the consumption channel 5.5 km. wide between the main bay and of 2,000 tonnes of coal annually, the burning the Minas Basin. It was chosen because there of which would result in 6,000 tonnes of are strong currents at depths between 30 and greenhouse gases. The 16-metres-in-diameter turbine is lowered into place from 55 metres, and because it is an area of relatively The turbine was retrieved in June 2017 for a platform designed by Open-Hydro. Image: Cape Sharp Tidal. low biodiversity. The sea floor is bedrock; fish minor repairs and upgrades which are still use the passage but do not spawn there. As a in progress. A second 2-megawatt turbine is non-profit organization, FORCE is authorized scheduled for deployment in the spring of Canada’s Bay of Fundy has extreme by Nova Scotia Environment to lease berths 2018. tides - which may be an understatement. (essentially study areas) for research projects. For more information on the project (includ- At the east end of the bay near Truro (Nova The first turbine was lowered into place to ing detailed information on environmental Scotia), the vertical difference between high record data in November, 2009. Post-recovery monitoring), go to www.capesharptidal.com. and low tide exceeds 16 metres (54 feet). creased dramatically. It was, in the words of one examination revealed that it had failed. The fins For more information on the Annapolis Tidal Currently 50% of Nova Scotia’s electricity is area resident, an environmental disaster. had been damaged by Fundy’s strong current. Generating Station, visit http://bit.ly/Annapolis- generated from burning coal. The province The energy crisis in the 1970’s led to the idea OpenHydro, the Irish tidal power technology TidalStation. The Annapolis Tidal Generating has committed to obtaining 40% from of a mega-project: a dam in the upper part of company that built the turbine, was undeterred. Station Interpretive Centre is on Route 1 east of renewable sources by 2020. Can the bay’s the Bay of Fundy which might meet most of There was, they pointed out, more energy there Annapolis Royal. It is open mid-May through powerful tides be one such source? the electrical needs of the province. Since no than had been anticipated, and they proceeded mid-October. To understand the present, it is necessary turbine yet existed to meet the requirements to reengineer the turbine. to review past activity on the Bay of Fundy, of the site, a prototype was built and installed Cape Sharp Tidal, a joint venture between My thanks to Les Smith, Manager of specifically on the Annapolis River. The area in the existing dam on the Annapolis River. This Emera, the parent company of Nova Scotia Interpretive Services at the Centre, who provided was settled by Europeans – French – in the turbine, built by Esher/Wyss, is able to resist cor- Power, and OpenHydro, is a lessee. They aim to information for this article. 17th Century. Based on their experience in rosion by saltwater and damage from sediment. determine whether grid-connect in-stream tur- Joan Rech is part of the New York G.E.T. Europe, they recognized the agricultural It is controlled by a computer which varies the bines can produce energy silently, invisibly, and distribution team and enjoys visiting Canada. potential of the marshlands around the river strength of the electromagnet with the varying without harm to the en- and built dykes to drain the marshes. The pressure of the water as the tides rise and fall. vironment. The first of dykes were earthen and sod berms with ba- The level of the water is controlled by the sluice two grid-connected 2 sic wooden sluiceways with a one-way valve gates. When the incoming tide reaches the megawatt turbines was or flap at the end. The flap allowed fresh level of the lake, the gates are opened. After the deployed in Novem- water to drain but prevented salt water from lake rises approximately 0.8 metre, the gates ber, 2016. It is an open flowing in. Within two to three years, the salt are closed. When the tide falls below the lake centre turbine which water had been flushed from the marshes level, the water is directed through the turbine, rotates on a horizontal leaving very fertile and productive farmland. generating electricity. It operates in one direc- axis. It has permanent Fast forward to the 1950’s. The province tion only, when the tide is flowing out. It runs magnets embed- was responsible for maintaining the dykes. approximately five hours during a 12 hour, 25 ded in its outer rim, The Maritime Marshlands Reclamation Au- minute tide cycle, and at its peak, it generates a which rotate past the thority, rather than maintain the network of maximum of 20 megawatts. generator coils, which dykes, built a dam and a set of sluice gates The Annapolis Tidal Generating Station has are housed within the to regulate the incoming tide. The dam been operating since 1984. To be clear, it is a duct. It is approximately transformed a productive tidal wetland into tidal-hydro station. Electricity is generated not 16 metres in diameter. a freshwater lake. Salt water species died off. from the energy of the tides but from the differ- A large triangular base Without spartina grass to hold the banks in ence in level between the lake behind the dam brings the total weight place, erosion from strong west winds in- and the estuary in front of the dam. It is the only of the unit to approxi-

No Grid - No Problem! critical backup loads, and how long they want ficiencies, so you don’t have to worry about Cont’d from p.10 to design the system to power their home ‘round trip’ loss as the energy converts from without any solar recharge, etc. sunshine, to usable AC energy power, to medicines for neighbors that In most situations, we design the backup stored battery power, and back again. needed them kept refriger- system to power a critical subset of the Should I get a home battery backup ated. Some folks came by to home’s energy needs for 1-2 days with no system or a standby generator? charge up their cell phones. sun. With sunshine available, a battery can Solar battery backup compares favor- Some other neighbors have keep you going indefinitely! This includes ably with the total ownership costs of a generators, but it’s nice to not things like running a refrigerator, well pump, home standby generator. Check out this contribute to the noise and boiler, limited lighting, and re-charging elec- chart comparing solar-powered battery vs. smell of those! tronics (cell phones and laptop computers generator at http://bit.ly/solar-battery-vs- need relatively little power). FAQs About Solar & Battery generator. If I have grid-only solar now, can I add Backup Tom and Mary didn’t even see the lights blink during an outage at their home in Maine. Revised from ReVision Energy News, Under battery backup? the Sun from 11.11.17. Original title was “Pika With a good 1/3 of northern Absolutely! There are a number of options, Energy Island Keeps the Power On.” New England’s electric grid knocked out How much of my home can a battery including the popular Tesla Powerwall. for multiple days in October 2017, there backup array power? These battery systems integrate on the Many has been a huge uptick in interest in solar In short, it really depends on your goal and alternating current (AC) side, so they are thanks battery backup. Some of the common budget. For every battery system we build, compatible with any grid-tied solar inverter, to our questions people have are: we’ll work with the customer to discuss their and operate at extremely high electrical ef- Sponsor: 16 February 2018 WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 UP-TO-DATE INCENTIVE INFO: WWW.DSIREUSA.ORG INCENTIVES Residential New Construction Contact [email protected] • Enroll to receive a home energy rating, Residential Solar Water Heating FEDERAL VERMONT expert technical assistance, and incentives Rebate Program CLEAN ENERGY – Efficiency Vermont Certified™ projects FEDERAL INVESTMENT receive up to $3,000 cash back • $1500 - $1900 per system based on DEVELOPMENT FUND annual system output TAX CREDIT • Washington Electric Coop and Vermont The Small Scale RE Incentive Program, The federal investment tax credit (ITC) Gas Systems customers may also receive Commercial Bulk Fuel-Fed Wood administered by Renewable Energy for most technologies, including solar, additional incentives C&I Pellet Central Heating Systems wind, heat pumps, and fuel cells, is 30% of Resource Center (RERC), provides funds to help defray the costs of new solar thermal Other Opportunities To Save • 40% of the heating appliance(s) and expenditures. For commercial geothermal installation cost, up to a maximum of generating systems, microturbines, and and advanced wood pellet heating systems. • Advanced Power Strips – special pricing starting at $6.95* $65,000. An additional 30% up to a maxi- combined heat and power the ITC is 10% For more information: www.RERC-vt.org or mum $5,000 is available for thermal storage. of expenditures. call (877)888-7372 • Pool Pumps – up to $600 rebate on Systems must be 2.5 million BTU or less Solar Thermal Incentives – per rated select ENERGY STAR models USDA RURAL capacity of system • Commercial Refrigeration Evaporator Residential Wood Pellet Boiler/Furnace • Note that these incentives end on Dec. 1, Fan Motors - $60-$100 each w/ point of • 40% of installed system up to $10k DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM purchase discount USDA Rural Development Program - Rural 2017! Reservations by 12/1/17 have 6 mos. • Must meet thermal efficiency and par- Energy for America (REAP) to be installed. • Heat Saver Loan – low-interest loans of ticulate emissions standards • $0.40 per kWh/year for residential and up to $35,000 for home weatherization Contact [email protected] Finance the purchase of renew- and heating improvements able energy systems, and make energy commercial customers • $0.80 per kWh/year for Special Category • For commercial refrigeration, lighting, or www.puc.nh.gov – Sustainable Energy improvements; energy audits. Funding HVAC rebates, apply online for a 20% is awarded on a competitive basis; grant customers or tel. 603-271-2431 for more informa- **special customer category limited to municipalities, bonus at rebates.efficiencyvermont.com tion and current program status funding cannot exceed 25% of eligible 1. *all rebates/incentives subject to availability, lim- project costs and combined loan guaran- non-profit housing authorities, public schools., and non-profit hospitals and health care centers. All incen- its and may change – for complete incentives and LOCAL INCENTIVES tees and grants cannot exceed 75% of eli- tives are subject to availability and may change. requirements, and for participating retailers/contrac- gible project costs. tors, visit efficiencyvermont.com or call 888-921-5990 Some towns provide property tax exemp- Applicants include Feasibility studies/ Advanced Wood Heating tions for renewables – visit www.bit.ly/ regular REAPs: agricultural producers • Advanced wood pellet heating systems -- NHtownRenewablesTaxBreaks and rural small businesses. Energy audits $3000 per boiler/furnace • These are offered on a town-by-town and renewable energy development • Custom Rebate $1.25/ft2 of heated space, NEW HAMPSHIRE basis. assistance: local governments, tribes, land $25,000 max ($20,000 max for heating sys- Renewable Energy Incentives • The state also has passed PACE (prop- grant colleges, rural electric coops, public tem and $5,000 additional incentive if sys- erty-assessed clean energy) enabling power entities. Grant must be used for tem includes thermal storage, $10/kBtu Offered Through the NH Public legislation which will allow towns to use Construction or improvements, purchase thermal capacity). Utilities Commission the PACE mechanism to finance clean and installation of equipment, energy • Details at www.RERC-vt.org energy projects through property taxes Commercial Solar Rebate Program audits, permit fees, professional service or call (877)888-7372 • Visit http://www.nh.gov/oep/programs/ fees, business plans, and/or feasibility Category 1: energy/pace/index.htm studies. Find more at www.rurdev.usda. VT TAX CREDITS ≤100 kW AC incentive levels for PV systems: • Vermont offers an investment tax credit for more information. gov/NH-VTHome.html or call 802-828- • $0.70/watt (lower of AC and DC) for new for installations of renewable energy equip- 6080 in VT or 603-223-6035 in NH solar electric facilities ment on business properties. The credit is NH Electric Cooperative equal to 24% of the “Vermont property por- • 0.65/watt (lower of AC and DC) for new Incentives for Electric BIOREFINERY ASSISTANCE tion” of the federal business energy tax solar electric facilities PROGRAM credit from 2011 to 2016. For solar, small • Expansions to existing solar systems are Vehicles and Electric Car USDA Rural Development offers oppor- wind, and fuel cells this constitutes a 7.2% not eligible. Charging Stations tunities to producers to develop biofuels state-level credit for systems and for geo- ≤100 kW AC equivalent incentive levels • NHEC offers a $1,000 incentive on a through the Biorefinery Assistance Program. thermal electric, microturbines, and com- for solar thermal systems: Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV), $600 on a The program provides loan guarantees for bined heat and power systems, this Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV), and constitutes a 2.4% state-level tax credit. • $0.12/rated or modeled kBtu/year for the development, construction, and retrofit- new solar thermal facilities fifteen collectors $300 on Electric Motorcycles. ting of commercial-scale biorefineries. Tier III programs in size or fewer; • NHEC offers incentives on Electric Vehicle The Biorefinery Assistance Program was • Additional incentive offers may be avail- • $0.07/rated or modeled kBtu/year for Supply Equipment (EVSE) of up to $2,500 established to assist in the development able through your local utility provider, con- new solar thermal facilities greater than fif- (only Commercial and Municipal members of new and emerging technologies for the tact your utility for more information. teen collectors in size; and are eligible for incentives) development of advanced biofuels and • Expansions to existing solar systems are • Pre-approval is required. aims to accomplish the following: EFFICIENCY VERMONT not eligible. • Visit: https://www.nhec.com/ • Increase the energy independence of Lighting (must be ENERGY STAR®) Category 2: the United States • Special pricing on LEDs at Vermont > 100 kW AC and ≤500 kW AC incentive level NH Home Performance with • Promote resource conservation, public retailers for as low as $.95. for PV systems health, and the environment • $0.55/Watt AC for new electric facilities. ENERGY STAR Home Efficiency Improvements Sponsored by all NH electric and natural • Diversify markets for agricultural and • Improvements: air sealing, insulation • Expansions to existing solar systems are gas utilities in partnership by the U.S. Dept. forestry products and agricultural waste and heating system upgrades - up to not eligible. materials of Energy. Fuel-blind eligibility using the $2,500 in incentives by using a participat- Contact [email protected] or ing* contractor Home Heating Index (BTUs of heating fuel • Create jobs and enhance economic at (603) 271-2431. / conditioned square feet / heating degree development in rural America Appliances (must be ENERGY STAR) Note: Category 2 may have a waitlist. days). Must provide at least 12 months of For more information go to • Dehumidifiers $25 - $40 mail-in rebate heating fuel history. Once qualified, eligi- www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_Biorefinery • Clothes Washers - $40 - $75 rebate For C&I solar program details, go to: http:// ble homes get a $450 value compre www.puc.nh.gov/Sustainable%20Energy/ • Refrigerators - $40 - $75 rebate RenewableEnergyRebates-CI.html hensive energy audit for $100 (rebated if • Clothes Dryers - $50 to $400 rebate improvements installed), and 50% instant PACE rebate for eligible weatherization improve- REGIONAL Heating/Cooling The state also has passed PACE (property- ments up to a $4,000. • LP/Oil boilers & furnaces - $250 rebate* NEW ENGLAND GRASSROOTS assessed clean energy) enabling legisla- • Visit www.NHSaves.com/HPWES for • Select smart thermostats - up to $100 tion which will allow towns to use the PACE more information and an online Home ENVIRONMENTAL FUND rebate mechanism to finance clean energy proj- Heating Index calculator MODEST GRANTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR • Solar water heaters - $950 rebate post ects through property taxes. COMMUNITY-BASED ENVIRONMENTAL installation Visit http://cpace-nh.com/index.html for WORK IN CT,MA,RI,NH,VT,ME more information. NH ENERGY STAR Homes • Heat pump water heaters - $300-$500 • Incentives for new homes which meet • Must be volunteer driven or have up to 2 rebate or point of purchase discount Residential Renewable Electric ENERGY STAR guidelines. Incentives include . full time paid staff or equiv. • Central wood pellet boilers (excluding Rebate Program • HERS rating fees paid by the utility, rebates • have an annual budget up to $100,000 outside wood systems) - $3,000 rebate $0.20/watt up to $1,000 or 30% of system for ENERGY STAR lighting, appliances –up to • Circulator pumps - $15-$50 point of costs, whichever is lower, effective Jan. 2, $4,000 based on the HERS score. • “Seed” grants of $250-$1,000 and “Grow” purchase discount 2018. Available on a first come basis as grants of $1,000-$3,500 funding is available, after processing lot- • Visit www.NHSaves.com/newhome for • Go to www.grassrootsfund.org/grants/ • Cold climate heat pumps $600-$800 more details. point of purchase discount tery applications received prior to February or call 802-223-4622 for more info. 1, 2018. http://bit.ly/NHResidentalRebate While we at Green Energy Times try to keep things up to date, incentives are always changing. Be sure to check with the appropriate sources for the latest information. INCENTIVES UP-TO-DATE INCENTIVE INFO: WWW.DSIREUSA.ORG WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 February 2018 17 NHSaves Residential ENERGY found at http://bit.ly/SMART-Solar-Incen- tives-Program. STAR ® certified Products MASSACHUSETTS • Solar renewable-energy credits (SRECs) NEW YORK Program Commonwealth Solar Hot associated with system generation belong • Mail-in/online rebates are available to the system owner and may be sold via RENEWABLE ENERGY INCENTIVES toward the purchase of the following Water (SHW) Programs the Department of Energy Resources OFFERED THROUGH ENERGY STAR® certified products: Clothes • Applicants must be served by National (DOER) SREC 2 program. Systems sized under 10kW single phase or 25kW three Welcome to the 2017 New York solar incentive Washers, Clothes Dryers, Room Air Condition- Grid, Unitil (Fitchburg Gas and Electric), and rebate information: 169 programs and ers, Room Air Purifiers, Refrigerators, Eversource or a participating Municipal phase have an extension until the new incentive program starts in 2017. Note: incentives at: http://dsireusa.org (enter your Dehumidifiers, and Pool Pumps. For current Light Plant community zipcode) Programs and Services from NYSERDA: rebate information and forms go to www. appropriate, approved Data Acquisition • Homeowners are eligible for a base System monitoring must be utilized for PV • https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All- NHSaves.com/appliances. rebate amount of the lesser of $4,500 or systems >10kW in order to qualify to sell Programs • Refrigerator/freezer recycling is available 40% of the installed cost. The system may SRECs. – unit must be in working condition (10 – 30 also be eligible to receive additional New York State Energy Research cubic feet in size), program includes free funding (“adders”) which increase the • Next solar incentive information can be pickup and $30 rebate. For program amount of the rebate. Adders are detailed found at http://www.mass.gov/eea/ and Development Authority. requirements and scheduling information go in the program manual at http://files. energy-utilities-clean-tech/renewable- • Business & Industry to www.NHSaves.com/recycle. masscec.com/get-clean-energy/residen- energy/rps-aps/development-of-the-next- • Communities & Governments solar-incentive.html • Instant rebates available on certain tial/commonwealth-solar-hot-water/ • Partners & Investors ENERGY STAR® certified LED light bulbs SHW_Program_Manual_Small_Scale.pdf • MA State Income tax credit for residen- • Cleantech & Innovation purchased through participating NH retailers, • Visit http://www.masscec.com/pro- tial solar hot water or PV systems are • Residents& Homeowners and instant or mail-in rebates available on grams/commonwealth-solar-hot-water eligible for a one-time 15% off system cost, ENERGY STAR® certified light fixtures (varies capped at $1000 max tax credit. Home Energy Waste by retailer, see store associate or rebate form MassSave Heat Loan SHW • No sales tax on residential solar hot Getting a home energy assessment for details). For more information please visit water or PV system. can help you take control of your energy • Through this loan program, customers costs. It can identify where your house www.NHSaves.com/lighting. may borrow at 0% interest the costs of a • There is no increase in property tax • Rebates are available only to residential assessment for residential solar hot water is using the most energy and which Solar Domestic Hot Water and/or Thermal improvements would have the biggest electric customers of the four NHSaves Heating system. Apply through receiving or PV systems for 20 yrs. utilities.s impact on your bottom line. Heating and the MassSave Energy Audit. You can borrow MA SREC II Policy cooling costs frequently account for 50% up to $25,000 at 0% interest for a 7-yr term. of residential energy bills. Identifying your NHSAVES Online Store Massachusetts’ Solar Renewable Energy energy waste can lead to big savings. • Our extensive online store offers Energy Efficiency Credits Program, SREC II prioritizes sites, by discounted pricing for residential electric • After conducting a free residential Energy using an SREC factor based on the type of Visit: http://bit.ly/ny-nrg-waste. customers of the four NHSaves utilities on a Audit, residential customers are eligible for installation. RENEWABLE ENERGY INCENTIVES large variety of LED light bulbs and fixtures, up to $25,000, commercial loan up to $100k • The credits provided for energy produced as well as offering additional products to at 0% interest heat loan with terms up to 7 by a system are calculated b multiplying the OFFERED THROUGH NY-SUN make your home more efficient, such as years to cover the following energy factor times a full credit value. http://ny-sun.ny.gov/ lighting controls, advanced power strips, efficiency improvements: atticwall-base- • Full credit is given for residential, parking NY-Sun is structured around customized thermostats, water saving devices, and ment insulation, high efficiency heating Megawatt (MW) Blocks targeted to specific various weatherization products. Orders canopy, emergency power, or community- systems, high efficiency domestic hot water based systems, or any other system of less regions of the state. To learn more, see the and product fulfillment are handled by our systems, solar hot water systems, 7-day Megawatt Block Incentive Structure. vendor, EFI. than 25 kW. digital programmable thermostats, Energy The Megawatt (MW) Block Dashboard • Visit www.NHSaves.com/lighting-catalog. Star replacement windows • Larger systems get a factor of 0.9, if they are building-mounted or at least 67% of the provides real time information on the status PAREI • Available only to utility customers of W. power produced is used at the site. If a of block and current incentive levels by sector Mass Electric, National Grid, Berkshire Gas, larger system meets neither of these and region. Block status is updated as applica- • To explore the possibility of a solar Nstar, Unitil and Cape Light Compact tions are submitted, so click the refresh button installation. Plymouth Area Renewable criteria, but is built on a landfill or brown- • Visit www.masssave.com/residential/ to see the current status. Energy Initiative. www.plymouthenergy.org field site, or if it is less than 650 kW, then it heating-and-cooling/offers/heat-loan-pro- gets a factor of 0.8. Systems that qualify for • https://www.powerclerk.com/nysunini- • www.nhsaves.com gram Please call 866-527-7283 to schedule none of the foregoing get a factor of 0.7. tiative/dashboard.aspx Energy Star® Residential a free home energy assessment. - Expect changes in spring 2018. Residential and Small Business http://ny-sun.ny.gov/Get-Solar/Resi- • http://bit.ly/Mass_SREC_II. Heating, Cooling, & Water Mass. Solar loan Program dents-And-Small-Business • MA State Incentives can be found at: Heating Equipment Rebate Mass Solar Loan focuses on connecting Commercial and Industrial www.masscec.com/get-clean-energy • Rebates of up to $500/ton on Air Source homeowners who install solar PV systems • http://ny-sun.ny.gov/Get-Solar/Com- and Geothermal Heat Pumps. Rebates of with low-interest loans to help finance the mercial-and-Industrial projects. Woodstove Change-out $500 - $600 on Heat Pump Water Heaters. Community Solar Rebates of $100 on WiFi Thermostats • The $30 million program, a partnership Program • http://ny-sun.ny.gov/Get-Solar/Com- • Program details and application at www. between the Massachusetts Department • The Commonwealth Woodstove munity-Solar of Energy Resources (DOER) and MassCEC, NHSaves.com/heating cooling Change-Out program, a partnership Commercial/Industrial PV Installer will work with local banks and credit between MassCEC, the Massachusetts Other NH Electric Utility Programs unions to provide financing to homeown- • http://ny-sun.ny.gov/For-Local-Govern- Department of Environmental Protection ment/Local-Government See also individual utilities for additional ers interested in solar electricity. DOER’s and the Department of Energy Resources, programs and variations. NH electric util- program works with banks and credit offers rebates to assist Massachusetts Residential/Small Commercial ities may offer low or no interest on-bill unions to expand borrowing options residents in replacing non-EPA-certified Solar PV Installer financing for energy efficiency projects. through lower interest rate loans and wood stoves with cleaner, more efficient • http://ny-sun.ny.gov/Get-Solar/Find-A- • Visit www.NHSaves.com/resource/ for encourage loans for homeowners with EPA-certified wood or pellet stoves. Solar-Electric-Installer individual utility contact information. lower income or lower credit scores. • Standard rebates range from $500 to Financing Options Business Programs • Since 2008, the solar electric industry in $1,750 per change-out, and low-income • http://ny-sun.ny.gov/Get-Solar/NY- Includes programs for: small and large busi- Massachusetts has grown into a robust rebates range from $1,500 to $3,000, based Sun-Financing ness, new equipment and construction, economic sector with over 1,400 busi- on stove specifications nesses and 12,000 workers, with enough Clean Power Estimator seminars, lighting incentives, and catalog, • http://www.masscec.com/get-clean-energy/ and low and no interest financing programs. solar electricity installed in the Common- • http://ny-sun.ny.gov/Get-Solar/Clean- residential/commonwealth-woodstove- Power-Estimator • Visit www.NHSaves.com/ for informa- wealth to power more than 100,000 homes. changeout?utm_source=Woodstove%20 Geothermal tion about NH business incentives for Change-Out%20Announcement&utm_ • Mass Solar Loan will continue to grow • rebate of $1500 per ton of installed ca- electricity efficiency. campaign=Woodstove%20&utm_ pacity for residential/small-scale systems, this sector, while allowing more homeown- medium=email NH Weatherization Assistance ers the ability to achieve the cost savings $1,200 per ton for commercial/large-scale Income-Eligible Programs and environmental benefits of this clean, Electric Vehicles systems up to $5000 renewable energy source. www.masssolar- Home Energy Assistance and NH commu- • MOR-EV provides rebates of up to $2,500 for Electric car loan.com. The most updated loan principal the purchase or lease of zero-emission and • buyers in New York State can now get nity action Weatherization Assistance Pro- buy down rate based on household a rebate of up to $2,000 on qualifying gram. Financial assistance paying fuel bills, plug-in hybrid light-duty vehicles. Visit: https:// income can be found at www.masssolar- mor-ev.org/ EV models from participating dealers. and free weatherization improvements loan.com/loan-support-incentives. See https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All- for qualified applicants. Funding from U.S. Programs/Programs/Drive-Clean-Rebate/ Dept. of Energy, NH utilities. DEPT OF ENERGY RESOURCES UP-TO-DATE INCENTIVE INFO How-it-Works. Visit www.nh.gov/oep/programs weath- • The Massachusetts DOER is in the CAN BE FOUND AT: Utility sponsored incentives & tips: erization/index.htm for application criteria, process of designing a new solar incentive FAQs and local program contacts program. The latest information can be WWW.DSIREUSA.ORG http://bit.ly/utility_sponsored_incentives 18 February 2018 WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 BUSINESS & FINANCIAL

said Eversource Vice President of Business Eversource Energy Development Mike Auseré regarding the Concerned Citizens proposal. “Additionally, Massachusetts will Recognized Among Nation’s Most Green Companies see major new investment, job creation, Left Bewildered and an increase in tax revenues to support By Chris Gillespie Plus: The Latest on Eversource’s Major Clean Energy Portfolio Projects public services.” About Solar Issues Another key component of Eversource’s clean energy portfolio is the controversial in Massachusetts Northern Pass Transmission, a partner- ship between Eversource and Canada’s On January 5, 2018, Massachusetts Hydro-Québec. Through Northern Pass, Department of Public Utilities’ (DPU) Eversource and Hydro-Québec hope to decided to raise rates, creating uncer- bring hydropower generated in Canada tainty for future solar customers in the down into the New England power grid. To Eversource utility territory. Under the do this, Northern Pass would construct a Eversource proposal approved by the 192-mile transmission line, spanning nearly Commission, solar customers in the the entire length of New Hampshire, from state’s largest utility service area will Pittsburg in the north to Deerfield near the be forced onto demand charges. These south. unpredictable charges are determined Supporters of Northern Pass believe the project will spur economic development by a customer’s highest electricity usage in the Granite State, while also providing over an entire monthly billing period. enough clean energy to power roughly a Vote Solar is challenging this order and, million homes. Opponents of the plan cite in early February, submitted a petition environmental concerns and worries that of appeal filed in the Massachusetts the towers carrying the powerlines will Supreme Judicial Court. Learn more An off-shore wind farm is proposed for 25 miles off the coast of New Bedford, MA to provide stable power for significantly detract from northern New at http://bit.ly/Vote-Solar-Eversource- 500,000 homes, with the 55 MW of battery storage. Image: baystatewind.org Hampshire’s world-famous scenery and Rate_Hike. hurt surrounding ecosystems. This decision seems to be counterin- On January 25, Massachusetts approved tuitive to the role that Eversource has Eversource Energy, operator of New largest and most successful developer of Eversource’s Northern Pass proposal. On England’s largest energy delivery system, offshore wind generation. On December February 1, the New Hampshire Site Evalu- been recognized for as a green leader. It has been recognized for its leadership in 20, 2017, Bay State Wind submitted its bid ation Committee, the final entity needed has left some concerned people in the corporate sustainability and environmental to build Massachusetts’ first offshore wind to approve the project, voted unanimously area bewildered about this decision. performance by Newsweek’s annual Green farm. If Bay State Wind succeeds, the sub- against granting Eversource a permit for the Rankings list. According to Newsweek, the sequent wind farm would be the first large- project. Eversource intends to appeal the Fortune 500 energy provider ranks 20th scale offshore wind farm in North America. decision, putting Northern Pass’s immedi- among 500 U.S. companies and fourth According to the proposal, the wind ate future in limbo for both Massachusetts among U.S. utility companies. Although farm will be 25 miles off the coast of New and New Hampshire. Eversource has historically performed well Bedford, MA and provide 500,000 homes Regardless of what ultimately happens in the annual survey, this is its highest rank- in Massachusetts with clean, reliable, with Northern Pass, it is likely that Ever- ing to date. stable-priced power. The proposal also source will continue to work to maintain its “It’s very rewarding to see our commit- states that the wind farm will deliver $300 role as a green leader for utility and non- ment to environmental sustainability be million in savings per year in lower winter utility companies alike. recognized in this way,” said Eversource power costs. In order to ensure that power Chairman, President and CEO Jim Judge in is available during peak-demand hours, the Chris Gillespie is a contributing writer for a recent press release. “With the support of proposed New Bedford project will include Green Energy Times. He can be reached at our employees, we will continue to build on a 55 MW battery storage solution, the larg- [email protected]. the #1 ranking of our energy efficiency pro- est battery storage system ever deployed in [Editor’s note: Northern Pass was one of grams, grow our clean energy portfolio and conjunction with a wind farm. several projects proposed to fill the needs of partner with our customers and communi- “By capturing New England’s power- Massachusetts to get power from Canada. ties as stewards for our environment.” ful and consistent offshore wind resource Though it has been denied approval in New New additions to Eversource’s clean through the most advanced generation and Hampshire, the other projects are still viable, energy portfolio include Bay State Wind, a transmission technology, we can provide and Massachusetts has other options to get recent partnership with Ørsted, the world’s clean electricity directly to the region,” the renewable power it was seeking.]

Green Mountain Power Doubles its Carbon Reduction Goals in 2018

GMP and Customers Exceed 2017 4,500 metric tons, the equivalent of re- energy solutions to homes. and very proud of our state’s reputation as Carbon Reduction Goals moving about 1,000 cars from the road for “More and more Vermonters are adopt- a leader in energy innovation.” the next 20 years. We thank our customers ing solar energy solutions, battery stor- Just one organization that benefitted Green Mountain Power (GMP) has set for their efforts to do that.” age, heat pumps and smart home devices from GMP’s customer innovations was the an ambitious goal for carbon reduction in GMP and other energy companies in each year,” she noted. “At GMP, our focus Farm & Wilderness collection of summer 2018 and beyond. The goal is to partner the state are hard at work identifying and is to put these tools within the reach of camps. with Vermont customers to drive down bringing to market renewable, clean al- more people. Through these innovations “We operate a number of buildings in costs and eliminate more than 8,000 ternatives to fossil fuel. At the same time, we can transform our energy use and different locations year-round at Farm & metric tons of carbon emissions per year GMP is partnering with customers to help drive down costs.” Wilderness,” says Jay Kullman, sustain- using clean energy for the next two de- them reduce their energy use by offering She remarks that businesses, because able resources director at Farm & Wilder- cades. This will result in eliminating more rebates, low-cost loans and other incen- of their scale and larger energy needs, can ness. “With the help of GMP, we installed than 160,000 metric tons of carbon emis- tives. GMP’s programs include: make an even bigger difference to the Sensibo devices that allow us to monitor sions and, combined with past reductions, • Residential programs that provide heat carbon bottom line. buildings when not in use, enabling us is the equivalent of removing nearly 3,000 pumps, heat pump hot water heaters, “Energy innovation happens when you to reduce energy consumption even cars from our roads each year for the next battery storage and smart thermostats to have the type of engaged energy commu- further with the heat pumps by keeping 20 years. Vermont homeowners at low cost or with nity we have here, and we are thrilled that the temperature lower. When we plan on “This kind of meaningful change is favorable financing, our Inspire Space has also attracted new using one of our buildings, we simply use possible because there are ways to deliver energy entrepreneurs to Vermont who are our smartphones to warm it in advance, lower cost and lower carbon energy solu- • Transportation programs that provide customers with in-home fast electric working to transform options for custom- and we no longer have to drive to the tions and GMP residential and business ers. On the economics, we are finding buildings to check on them during the customers are actively engaged and vehicle chargers and discounts on electric vehicles themselves, solutions that can transform business winter,” he adds. committed to action,” says Mary Powell, practices and result in reduced energy use president and CEO of GMP. “We know our • Customized projects that help commer- GMP customers who are interested in and cleaner methods,” Powell explained. learning more about how a home or business customers value our efforts to reduce the cial and industrial customers reduce their “This change often results in savings for state’s carbon footprint, because they’ve use of fossil fuels. could reduce its carbon footprint should reach business customers, but that’s not the out to Green Mountain Power at 888-835- proven it in the past. In 2017, for example, Powell related that many residential only reason they partner with us—or our target for carbon reduction was 3,000 customers have taken advantage of GMP 4672 or contact Jeff Monder at 802-770-3392 even the main one. Organizations in Ver- or [email protected]. metric tons and we actually eliminated programs to bring leading-edge clean mont are committed to our environment BUSINESS & FINANCIAL WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 February 2018 19 A 134-kw rooftop solar less, and that impact is less important as elec- The BUSINESS CASE array for the DHMC tric rates increase. By contrast, utility-scale solar FOR SOLAR POWER Heater Road facil- systems have about 40% of their costs in the ity went online in Nov. solar panels. This would mean that their overall Cont’d from p.1 2017. Images: Norwich costs might increase by about 10-12%. Please climate disaster unfolds before us. Solar Techologies notice the word “might.” While appreciation of neighbors is nice, and The costs of solar systems have been drop- ping so dramatically that for all systems, large climate change must be addressed by all of us, from tax incentives and small, the cost increases from the tariffs from a practical point of view, many business to the availability are likely to have less effect than the falling people feel compelled to justify any expense in of net metering. costs. Last September, the National Renewable systems that will address the problems. And this Most business Energy Laboratory reported that in the previous is a group Jim Merriam was particularly address- people are not at all year, the cost of installed utility-scale solar had ing with his statements. Stable energy prices prepared to evalu- fallen by 30%, an amount much greater than have real value, especially because the costs of ate the potential for the projected 12% increase in cost from the fossil fuels fluctuate so much. You can only take solar power on their tariffs. And commercial costs for solar power a business plan to a bank if you know what your businesses, which had fallen by 15%, a reduction that would still expenses will be, and you can only know what makes Jim Mer- your energy expenses will be if they provide be greater than the increased costs. economy, and it is an important tool for almost riam’s assertion that he can help any business better stability than fossil fuels do. Tax reduc- The business case for solar power has been, any business, both for the sake of the general save money all the more important. tions are easily evaluated, because they have and remains, very real. economy and for its own welfare. For most One thing we asked Merriam about was monetary values. Increased property values can business owners trying to do right by their the potential effects of punitive tariffs on solar be more difficult to assess with any precision, but community, watching a solar installation per- systems. He said that Norwich Technology was they are clearly advantageous. sonalizes how their choice supports rebuilding disappointed that the president had chosen to The list above presents only four benefits of the trades and providing careers to our younger put a 30% tariff on imported solar panels. But Come Visit Our going to solar power, but it is a good starting employees. point for a discussion of the business advantages The issue of jobs serves as an example. of installing a solar power system. Other advan- Tasting Room High-quality employees will migrate quickly tages worth mentioning include availability of out of an area if there are no good prospects special financing, power purchase agreements, for employment, and where jobs can easily be & VT Gift Shop renewable tax credits and other incentives, vir- outsourced to some other part of the planet. tual net metering, shared solar options, and even Open Mon.-Sat. We can be sure that solar installers will not be special utility programs. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. outsourced in that way. Both climate change No business operates in a vacuum, and what is and economic pressures produce a sense of good for a local economy is usually good for the urgency for installing solar systems, so the jobs businesses within it. For sustainable develop- are unlikely to disappear. At the same time, a ment goals to be met by our society, businesses robust local economy can give local businesses must develop and achieve their own goals. Solar a better employee pool and support. Pirouette Farm in Norwich, VT installed a 60.3kW power is quite consistently good for the local Not only do physical reali- roof-mount solar array in July 2016. This net-metered ties and economics suggest system offsets the farms energy loads and provides job security, but they also community solar in Norwich. imply that money in the lo- cal economies is more likely he pointed to the benefits of solar power once to stay in local economies more, stressing that they were still clear. “Be- with passing time, and that cause the benefits of solar are so overwhelm- increases overall prosper- ingly positive and obvious, we expect the tax to ity, a benefit for nearly any cause only a temporary setback in our pursuit business. of clean, local, inexpensive solar energy.” Laws can be problemati- We discussed the actual numbers associated cal, of course. State and local with the tariff. Merriam pointed out that the so- laws seem to change almost lar panels represent a higher percentage of the continuously. We at Green overall cost of the system as their sizes increase. Energy Times sometimes This means that the tariff will have its greatest feel hard pressed to keep up effect on utility-scale systems, and its least ef- to report them every other fect on those installed at households and small month. A good solar install- businesses. In a small system, the panels might er must do this continually represent only 25% of the total cost. Increas- 632 LaPorte Rd., Morrisville, VT and provide relevant data as ing the cost of the panels by 30% might only 802.888.9400 Colonial House Inn in Weston, VT provides skiers with a sustainable lodging part of any site evaluation. increase the cost of such a system by 7.5% or rockartbrewery.com option. The 30kW ground-mounted array was commissioned in October 2017. This includes everything

Latest Job Census Shows Effects of Regulatory Actions on Vermont Trade Jobs The new National Solar tion’s solar tariff, which first Jobs Census show a loss of started to rattle the national 232 full-time jobs in the state’s market for panels early last workforce after a 2017 marked summer. Vermont’s job loss is by a volatile regulatory envi- over three times the national ronment. average, at 13%, indicating “More than 1,500 families that something more than are supported by a full-time national politics is affecting Vermont solar job. Local solar the sector. workers help Vermonters cut Unfortunately, the news of their energy bills, do their part on climate, both the decrease in installed solar capac- and help their neighbors access renewable ity and loss of jobs does not come as news energy,” said Olivia Campbell Andersen, to solar installers who warned of these Executive Director of Renewable Energy consequences during the reconfiguration Vermont. “These local, small businesses are of net metering rules in 2016. Net meter- helping build stronger communities now. ing is a program which allows average Given plenty of volatility out of Washing- Vermonters to generate their own electric- ton, we need to make sure Vermont’s poli- ity and sell excess clean electricity to the cies keep us on track towards our climate grid to for their neighbors to use. Recent and clean energy commitments.” analysis of solar data collected by the Ver- Nationally, the solar trades saw a 4% mont Public Utilities Commission showed slow-down which experts attribute regulatory changes on the popular net to, among a variety of factors, general metering program resulted uncertainty caused the Trump administra- in a sharp decline in new Cont’d on p.35 20 February 2018 WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG Feature: Renewable Towns & Cities SUSTAINABLE WOODSTOCK, VERMONT By George Harvey Irene came through. There was flooding and some A current Aerial view of Billings Farm and Museum people were very much affected. Sustainable project for the Woodstock took a lead in colleciting donations town is to have and formed a committee to determine where the a solar array effort was most needed.” The result was a greatly installed. This is broadened public support. being done by Norwich Solar LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS Technologies. One of the goals for the Energy Committee The 480-kW has been to reach out to low-income households. DC system will Even when people know that the help is available, cover about 85% they often do not know even where to begin do- Marsh-Billings House. Image Don Shall/Flickr of the mu- ing the research on what they need to do to get it. nicipal electric And this is prehaps most often true of people with tion are SEVCA, Capstone Community Action. consumption, low incomes. including waste There is interest among the people to work on “We leveraged private funding with commu- replacing mobile homes with net-zero hous- water treat- nity support and state programs to weatherize ment, the town ing similar to what Vermod has been building. Image courtesy of Billings Farm and Museum homes for low income families.” Zach Ralph told GET published an article on such structures in garage, the fire us. “We do our best to connect people to the department, December of 2016, “1st Solar with Storage at A programs that can help them best.” Zero Energy Rental Development!” (http://bit.ly/ Late last spring, we got word that Phil the EMS, and the town hall. The project is fully He also said two things worth note. One was, financed, and reduces the town’s expenses by GET-small-zero-energy) Swanson, the Municipal Manager of Woodstock, “You don’t have to do everyhtign at once. Take Woodstock groups have been colaborating Vermont, had signed a pledge making the town amounts increasing each year from a start of care of the low hanging fruit.” The other, particu- about $13,000. It is believed that the town will with others in nearby communities, particularly part of the Mayors for 100% Clean Energy move- larly worth noting was “Maybe you take out a loan those in Vital Communities and its Weatherize ment. Our investigations into what was behind save $550,000 over the course of the 25 year for $50 per month, but you could save $75 per contract term. Upper Valley program. There are many communi- this turned out to be full of stories about delighful month.” Sustainable Woodstock has put special ties in Vermont and New Hampshire in this organi- projects pursued by people who are outstanding In another project, Efficiency Vermont gave the effort into finding ways to prepare people with town some deep energy retrofit grants. The town zation. Pomfret and Bridgewater are among those in their respect for each other, the community, restriced incomes, living in what is termed “energy that have been working closely with Woodstock. and the planet. expects to save 40-50% of energy usage for the poverty,” to get those loans. Ron Miller, who is active in Sustainable Wood- town hall, as a result of Insulation, window inserts, HEATING a new smaller boiler, and other improvement. WEATHERIZING stock, told us, “The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Clearly, sustainable heating is vitally important. Mansion, part of the National Park System, is all SUSTAINABLE WOODSTOCK The Sustainable Woodstock web site (https:// Sustainable Woodstock has been focused on a about conservation. Woodstock has three genera- www.sustainablewoodstock.org/) has information variety of resources. Air-source heat pumps are tions of some of the leading conservationists in on a current program for weatherization. It says, being used in the community, of course. Ron the United States, who gave it a heritage of con- “This winter, Sustainable Woodstock is teaming up Miller also told us that a geothermal heat pump servation.” Sustainability is a tradition in the town, with Vital Communities, Efficiency Vermont, and system was put into the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller and it goes back to the middle of the nineteenth local home energy contractors to help residents in National Historical Park (MBR) a couple of months century. Woodstock, Pomfret, and Bridgewater save mon- ago. Barbara Barry, one of Sustainable Woodstock’s ey and stay warm by weatherizing your home.” Scott Nichols of Tarm USA, Inc said that com- founding board members, explained, “George Weatherize Woodstock, which started a pilot pany is working on another project, Perkins Marsh is called the Father of Conservation. program two years ago. There are many steps to Cont’d >> He wrote Man and Nature, book on conserva- get to weatherization, and the program helps tion published in 1864.” Wikipedia’s entry on the people understand what efforts will be most help- book has this quote: “[He] warned that man could ful. It helps them go through the formulas used to destroy himself and the Earth if we don’t restore Bill Sullivan in front of calculate household energy usage and compare and sustain global resources and raise awareness solar panels installed during a solarize initiative that to an efficent home. It put together a “Local about our actions.” Weatheriza- Marsh’s house in Woodstock was later the Aside from the municipal government, it tion Guide,” property of Frederick Billings, who established a seems that nearly all of the organized sustain- which a lot managed forest and a progressive dairy farm in ability efforts of Woodstock has something to do of informa- the 1870s. His grand-daughter, Mary Billings Rock- with Sustainable Woodstock, an incorporated tion, along efeller, and her husband Laurence Rockefeller, non-profit organization. Jill Davies explained the with a donated the property to the people of the United appeal and success of this organization, sayiang, guide to States in 1992. “Woodstock is a small town, and when we get resources, There are so many things going on in active, we organize to get things done.” ranging Woodstock, it is hard to begin describing them. Zach Ralph, who has been active in Sustainable from con- We might start by saying the efforts are largely Woodstock in a number of ways, commented, tractors and divided between the people, especially those “The most important part in Woodstock was programs. associated with Sustainable Woodstock, and the getting the commitment from the manager and Two orga- town government, which represents them with its select board.” nizations The praise for each other extends to outside own support for the cause. considered Paige Heverly practices using spray foam organizations, as well. Davies spoke of Efficiency especially insulation at a Sustainable Woodstock DIY THE TOWN OF WOODSTOCK Vermont, saying “Its great working with efficiency worth men- interactive weatherization station. Woodstock is an example of a community that vermont because you can update everything and is doing just about everything it can to reduce its save money on your electricity bills, and they give energy consumption and make sure that as much you a grant to do it.” She added, “They make it as possible of what it consumes is generated easy.” sustainably from renewable resources. It was able One of the things that is impressive about to lead on these matters because of the close Woodstock is the sheer number of people cooperation of a fairly large number of citizens, involved in issues of sustainability and resilience. including those who are most heavily involved in Ron Miller, the acting Chair of Sustainable Wood- the town government. stock, told us something that might be a key to The Select Board of Woodstock has taken a cooperation. “We avoid controvercial or political leading position in the movement to sustain- topics,” he said. “We are not trying to beat people ability. Jill Davies, who is a board member, made over the head about climate change or what is it clear that the board’s work has been focused needed to change the political system. We get on what it can do with town property to reduce support from people who would not stand out waste and carbon emissions, increase efficiency, as active environmentalists. We don’t advocate decrease costs, and provide its own power. that everything has to be solved by government When Phil Swanson, the Municipal Manager, money. Some of us believe that, but it is not our signed onto “Mayors for 100% Clean Energy,” es- goal.” tablishing a goal of powering Woodstock entirely Miller also gave some history of Sustainable with clean and renewable energy, he had the sup- Woodstock that provided a historical context. The port of both the select board and the citizens who organization formed by combining two earlier elected it. This is an impressive goal, committing movements in 2009. “One event that put us on the town to real goals. the map and gained a lot of support was when seems interested inunderstandingthemall. issues, andSustainable transportation Woodstock vehicles. There are many ways to address the powered to battery andbiking from walking municipal involvement. This could beprivately funded orcould have considered isa to“village village” shuttleservice. ers that could work well inasmall Vermont town. like Uberare oneapproach, butthere may beoth Commercial opportunities. sharing ride programs es. board Some membershave beenexploring years andhasbeenconsidering several approach for into afew transportation has beenlooking deal with. also thought to bepossiblythemostdifficult to issue to face inreducing is emissions. carbon It itthesinglemostimportant making portation, paigns willprobably come alonginthefutuer. participants. participants. We are told that more solarize cam Pachtand herhusband, Michael ofitas took part also successful, came ayear later. Barbara Barry energy generation. Asecond solarize campaign, power, totaling ofnewrenewable 165kilowatts Theirresulted efforts in25homesinstallingsolar 2015. 2014andran throughOctober January in worked onthefirstcampaign, whichstarted plans more. Catamount Energy andIntegrity Solar Woodstock hasruntwo solarizeand projects TRANSPORTATION Feature: Renewable Towns &Cities In In Vermont, 47%ofallfossil fueluseisfor trans Other waysOther to range approach transportation to be that isstarting Another possibility told usthat Sustainable Zach Ralph Woodstock Visit our showroom: 19Archertown Road, Orford, NH TAR Innovative Leaders in Sustainable Heating Solutions Zach Ralph 1 800STAY WARM Call: 603-795-9100 |www.woodboilers.comCall: M there. aswell. ing athird building soon willbeheat buildings there and boilers intwo putting inbiomass are site. They Billings-Rockefeller also at theMarsh- Solarizing Solarizing

B Residential and Commercial Boilers I - O - - - - M taken interest insustainableagriculture andgar can visithttp://bit.ly/carbon-work-study. Anybody canparticipate.” For information, you sequestirationabout carbon andmicro systems. understand thebenefitsoftrees, really talking istogoal oftheseries getpeopleinthearea to told us, Park.Historical Barbara Berry main “The this from theMarsh-Billings-Rockefeller National from February to August ofthisyear. hashelpin It Work-Study Series,” monthly meetingsrunning create aneconomy around carbon.” emissions. Managingforests to store cand carbon be proactive inmanaging fossil fuelsandcarbon years ago. Hesaid, to unity “We have anopport both locallyin Woodstock andnationally over 150 interesting who started peopleinsustainability ofGeorge Perkings Marsh, line withthethinking sequestration. This, ofcourse, muchin isvery have takenspecialinterest andcarbon inforestry saidsomeofthepeople Zach Ralph Woodstock foods possible. table education, sopeoplecangetthefreshest several years. hasalsoincludedfarm to This effort andfoodhas alsopublishedalocalfarm guidefor about40families. It gardenscommunity serving dening. According to Miller, Ron thetown hastwo FORESTRY & SEQUESTRATION CARBON AGRICULTURE AND GARDENING No Heating Costs! Heating No Some membersofSustainable Some Woodstock have Sustainable Woodstock the hasstarted “Carbon A SS controlled by your thermostat. whole homeheating systems Automated Wood Heat ® Opt out of oil with delivery outofoilwithdelivery Opt Changing theWayWeStayWarm of localwood pelletsand Today’s Self-Stoking Powered Solar Solar Custom ModularHomes Net - Zero Affordable & & Affordable Zero Discover GreenInnovation -

saying, we “Everything are doingisforresiliency.” thetown on, isworking summed upeverything interested ofthetown. int hispart also putoutaguidefor developers whomight be for several has years It to thelandinto turn apark. luted itfurther. group An action hasbeenworking the town haduseditto dumpsnow, whichpol a railroad years station andausedcarlot. In past, Riverthat hadonce had site ontheOttauquechee projected calledtheEastEndDevelopment at a also told usaboutalandreclaimation Miller Ron MORE: Dr. William Keetons explainscarbon sequestration atMBRland Select Board memberJillDavies maySelect have Many thanks to our

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22 February 2018 WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 HEATING & COOLING Heating Your Home (or Business) on the Cheap – From the Ground Up (or Down) – Streamline HVAC and Building Controls By Greg Whitchurch PV) will recognize some of the This is a tale of two features in Dandelion’s offer- apparently parallel ing. One can pay cash or use lives which, on one bank finance for ownership fateful day just north of the system right up front; of New York City, or utilize their “Zero Down, collided, creating a Savings Today” quasi-leasing tsunami of life-chang- model. This would mean that ing consequences for as a homeowner’s (or busi- them, their neighbors, ness owner’s) energy bills shed the fossil fuel heating portion friends – indeed, the Reduce Cost whole countryside! altogether, a (perhaps much) Remove traditional system design and Player One is Becky smaller amount would be paid control engineering costs. Expandable Meier: longtime public to Dandelion each month - half up to 960 I/O. Minimize workload for servant teaching our in Becky’s case! This amount routine maintenance. young in a public would not vary like the price of Save Time school for decades; fossil fuel does. At the end of the Perform maintenance and system retiring to assist immi- contracted leasing period the tuning remotely. Solve problems grants to our country; system belongs to the home- without going on-site. Built-in system now working at a owner. and energy monitoring. community college - So, no fuel deliveries, storage, all socially responsible leaks, burner tune-ups, chimney Happy Homes & Offices positions. worries, indoor fires or car- Control your comfort from your phone. Receive alerts if equipment breaks. Player Two is Kathy bon monoxide, tank truck not getting up your drive, or bills Prevent downtime with earlier Hunnan: native of The circulation piping and smaller bore hole of Dandelion’s geothermal solution. Images: Becky Meier response. New Hampshire; B.S. landing on the kitchen table at Civil Engineering, M.S. inopportune times. And, the Remove The Hurdles Theoretical Computer Sci. from Stanford. She Pumping the sludge from prehistoric increase in electrical use can be Configurable controls that make offset by solar PV, which can also be scaled up complex design simple. Works in every lands a job at Google X (“moonshot” projects, garbage (oil) out of the ground, transporting building and use: etc.) and while there helps create what turns it all over the world, refining it, transporting to eliminate the rest of the electric bill. Keep in mind that the summer fans and window - Geothermal / Cold Climate HPs out to be Dandelion, where she is CEO. And it some more, and then using our breathing - Forced Air / Hydronics now she must find her first “customer.” air to burn it (inefficiently, no less) to heat our air-conditioners are gone, too. (Becky used to - Renewables Back to Becky, who’s been bitten by the so- buildings, and finally pumping the poison- buy her electricity from renewable sources; cial protest bug. Without warning, interlopers ous exhaust back out into our breathing air now she’s buying about 40 panels at a local have proposed a multi-billion dollar natural doesn’t make as much sense as just pulling community solar farm to offset everything.) gas pipeline through her community! And the heat itself out of the ground. To address By the way, one can also add on hot water and she’s “not going to take it anymore.” So she this problem, Alphabet X (Google) created a fresh air filtering and circulation to this same and her partner, Bob, create StopNYPipeline. project, Dandelion, as a “moonshot” to design system. And you can monitor the system, as org/ for the fight. They win; the proposal is a specialized procedure to make geothermal well as your home, from over the Internet. withdrawn. BUT, now she’s hooked on social heating and cooling affordable for everyone - The village of Rhinebeck, NY has voted action. So next they set up a local Renewable residential and commercial, rich and poor. unanimously to give Dandelion right-of-way ments from the arrangements they made with Energy Fair. Suddenly, Aztech Geothermal As you probably already know, a heat access to install geothermal piping along city Becky Meier. Links and more info available pump (e.g. air conditioner, refrigerator) simply streets at no upfront cost to anyone! Then in the online posting of this article at the GET moves heat from one place to another; but homeowners can opt into the system, as folks website.] keep in mind that it concentrates the heat now opt into water and gas mains. On Febru- View the online version of this article at during the process. The unwanted heat ary 9th, 2018 Congress passed legislation to www.greenenergytimes.org to see links and in your fridge is concentrated and moved extend federal tax credits for commercial and more information on this topic. outside the fridge into your kitchen, replacing residential geothermal installations through it with very cold air. Likewise, with a geo- 2021. There are state and utility-based incen- For decades Greg Whitchurch is a board thermal heat pump, 50-degree heat from the tives as well. member of Vermont Passive House and owns a ground is concentrated to a higher tempera- [Note: this is a startup company; their LEAF, a Prius and a net-zero passive house with ture in order to heat your house while the offerings and procedures are undergoing solar PV and hot water in Middlesex, VT. http:// ground is, in turn, cooled down a bit. fine-tuning right now. So expect some adjust- bit.ly/2nRCdGL (802)223-2416. Before Dandelion, geothermal installations cost tens of thousands of dollars because well-drilling tools were used, which are much larger, harder to transport and to move into TM place, and it takes far longer to drill than is necessary for a geothermal installation. Putting the Power in Your Hands Dandelion invented a small drilling rig for the smaller, shallower drill-hole needs of geothermal. This rig is far faster (one day of Control your total energy costs and add comfort to your home, install drilling vs. three to four days), easier to drill air source heat pumps today! multiple holes, to transport, and to tuck into restricted places - saving a LOT of the typical Air source heat pumps require electricity; however minimizing fossil fuel costs costs while making it more widely available and lowering annual system maintenance provides an economic benefit to the to folks with difficult sites. Horizontal layouts homeowner. are also used. At this early point in its development, Dan- Key Benefits: delionEnergy.com exists only in upstate New A typical geothermal heat pump whole house fur- York and works with a limited array of instal- • Reduce your annual fuel expenses nace. Courtesy image: Water Furnace. lation firms. As they fine-tune their business • Lower your home’s carbon emissions model they are looking for clients with exist- • Heat and cool your home more efficiently buys a booth! ing ductwork - of the sort one finds in homes • Easy to install, contact your HVAC contractor The Day of the Energy Fair: Becky and Bob with oil or gas furnaces. Although they have • Qualify for incentives through NHEC happen across Aztech’s booth. They’re awak- millions of dollar’s worth of projects lined up ened to the promise of geothermal! Becky already, they’re actively working on branch- invites them to speak to her anti-fracking ing out to surrounding areas and states in the Call NHEC Energy Solutions today to learn more of the benefits of heat pump group. Unbeknownst to Becky, Kathy has cho- Northeast. You can sign up as a potential cli- technology. sen Aztech as Dandelion’s installation partner. ent on their website - perhaps bringing their The Day of the Presentation: John Ciovacco, attention to your own area. They’ll keep you Aztech’s President, just happens to bring along apprised of their operations and offerings. Get started today! Dandelion! Kathy has cast her line. *SNAP!* Those of you familiar with the structured 1.800.698.2007 Becky takes the bait - hook, line and sinker. financing used by SunCommon.com (solar HEATING & COOLING WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORGWWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORGWWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORGWWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 802.439.6675 February JUNEAugust April 15, 201720182017 2014 23 23 23 Wood- vertical pic Pellet Central Heating Systems By Jeff Rubin EZ FIRELOGS are Just Easy MARKET AWARENESS By George Harvey There was a time in my life when I cut, hauled, split, stacked, and burned my own firewood to heat a house in which I lived with four children. That was not easy. I loved cooking with a wood stove, but it required constant attention; there was no such thing as setting the oven thermostat to 325ºF and walking away for an hour. There was always a risk of bringing in insects and a certainty of dropping bits of bark on the floor. The chimneys needed to be cleaned. Even with the low cost, heating with wood had its down sides. Pellet stoves, which have few of those problems, came along a little later. In a way, they are based on wood chemistry. The three

©2017 Sustainable Heating Outreach & Education, Inc. ©2017 Sustainable Heating Outreach & Education, main chemical components of wood, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin are naturally formed Note: tCO2e: Tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, which is a measure that allows you to compare the emissions of other polymers, and of these, the lignin is actually a greenhouse gases relative to one unit of CO2. It is calculated by multiplying the greenhouse gas’s emissions by its 100- thermoplastic and can act as a glue-like binder. year global warming potential. Get the data behind the graphic at http://bit.ly/sustainableheating_CarbonGraphic. Because of this, sawdust can be heated and pressed through extruders to form wood pel- High and consistent heat output, low moisture in a lets. tightly compacted log deliver a superior flame. Images courtesy of Mark Janinni. Question: What is the most effective driver of Behavioral economics has shown that we There are a number of advantages of wood green energy adoption? Answer: Knowing what don’t always (or even often) behave in our pellets, not the least of which is that you can your neighbor does. Some things are more rational, economic self-interest (yes, I know it’s feed them into a fire box with an augur, so a es of wood pellets except automatic feeding. readily known than others: each new solar array hard to believe!). Instead we are driven to con- pellet stove can be left to run automatically Since they are pressed at high temperature, provides increased social proof, while each new nect with tribes of people who believe what we for hours. Nevertheless, pellet stoves are not they are very dry. This means that much less pellet heating system remains hidden away in believe. We seek to increase our social capital all they could be. They may not be as pretty as weight is needed to produce the same amount someone’s basement. with our group by appearing insightful and open fireplaces, people do not generally toast of heat, and less space is needed to store the Invisibility isn’t the only barrier to market altruistic. In other words, we are intrinsically marshmallows with them, and it seems no one same weight. The result is that the EZ Firelogs adoption for pellet furnaces. Homeowners have driven to share new, relevant information with is making pellet kitchen ranges. Nevertheless, needed for a season take up about a third of a range of aptitudes about what goes on down our networks. Wood pellet furnaces are exactly the space needed in the basement. Central heating systems are the kind of disruptive technology that should for a season’s cord not a consumer item, and there’s too much be organically contagious in this climate of wood. Also, because technical jargon. (Do you know the difference environmental concern. of the heat and between a boiler and a furnace?) There is also The good news is that we are making prog- pressure used to a widespread concern that we will cut down all ress! Most northeastern states have financial make them, insects the trees instead of there being an understand- incentives for pellet boilers/furnaces. Pellet do not survive the ing of how the market for secondary lumber heating systems qualify for low-cost green process. Because supports sustainable forests. (Most people don’t energy loans and can often be rolled into your they have low water realize that most U.S. forests are not protected, mortgage payment. There’s plenty of informa- content, they burn and that over one third are in current use, and tion on the internet. One good place to start is cleanly, producing http://sustainable- little ash or creosote; heating.org/. We according to Jannini, are at a critical mo- they can acutally dry ment in the story out old creosote in of climate change, chimneys, causing and we can’t bend The log is extruded at 400ºF and with 40,000 pounds of pressure per square inch. The it to fall loose. Their the curve unless owner of the EZ FireLogs company likes to refer to it as “hard luck.” cost is similar to that we address pollu- of wood pellets. tion from heating they have a list of undeniable advantages. While it is true that pellets can be fed au- our homes and Mark Jannini, who runs EZ Firelogs in Loud- tomatically into a pellet stove, the EZ Firelogs businesses. on, New Hampshire, explained a third alterna- have their own advantage that they can be Jeff Rubin is tive for wood-based heating to us, the Firelogs used in stoves and fireplaces that are unaltered, Executive Director his company sells. In exactly the same way that matching the aesthetic qualities of cord wood at Sustainable wood pellets are pressed from sawdust and but with a cleaner product. Since they are made Heating Outreach chips, it is possible to press fire logs of much entirely of wood, there are no chemicals that & Education, larger dimensions than wood pellets, making can cause problems in these stoves. Inc., a nonprofit them as long as they may be needed. While EZ Firelogs are made in New Hampshire, advocacy 501(c) they cannot be fed into pellet stoves, they entirely from wood waste materials, such as (3), sustainable- are conveniently sized for fireplaces, Franklin sawdust. No trees are harmed to make them. Hands-free, environmentally-responsible wood pellet central heating fuel delivery. Image: Sustainable Heat- heating.org. stoves, and kitchen ranges. More information can be found at http://www. ing Outreach & Education, Inc. The EZ Firelogs have nearly all the advantag- ezfirelogs.com/. that secondary lumber is fully 70% of harvest- ing. More on this at http://sustainableheating. org/sustainable-forestry/). Then there is our well-worn reflex to complete the phrase “wood pellet” with “stove.” Wood pellet stoves and HEAT CLEAN, HEAT LOCAL wood stoves play a vital role, especially when combined with cold climate heat pumps and Now you can have the same auto-delivery, tight building envelopes, but by far, the biggest hands-off convenience of oil opportunity in green energy is switching from an oil furnace to one that runs on wood pellets. with Wood Pellet Central Heating. EZ- Firelogs are Today we still have 60 million homes burning 100% Wood and 100% Easy! 3.6 billion gallons of heating oil annually. From the mills that make the pellets, to the How So? 50 bags 48x40x40 creates as pneumatic trucks and storage bins that deliver much heat as full cord of wood. entirely hands-free heating, to the amazing No Bugs, Bark, Mess or Stacking green-tech boilers and furnaces—the wood pellet central heating industry has had a fully functional infrastructure in New England for Try this made-in-New England product. more than a decade. We don’t have a technol- WOOD PELLET BOILERS, FURNACES, AND AUTOMATED SYSTEMS High Heat, 1% Ash, %100 Easy ogy problem, but we do have some marketing Find pricing and more at pellergy.com ezfirelogs.com • 603-234-7239 challenges. 2424 February JUNE 15, 2018 2014 WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 802.439.6675 CLIMATE NEWS

together – from utilities, research enti- ties, investors and entrepreneurs,” said START-UP BUSINESS GROWTH IN CLIMATE ECONOMY David Bradbury, president of the Vermont Accel-Vermont to Graduate First Climate Economy Business Cohort Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET). “Accel-VT is the first coordinated initiative tion, and learn to think like an investor. in 20 years to successfully bring these This will make it much easier for them to parties together, and VCET is enormously raise the capital they need to scale their proud to be behind this initiative. The company as now they better understand support and engagement of Accel-VT how to talk to investors,” says Geoff Rob- ranges from mentoring to advising to ertson, business assistance director at the investing, and the outcomes are driving Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund. positive change in renewable energy for Accel-VT is managed by the Vermont Vermont and across the country.” Sustainable Jobs Fund, a nonprofit organi- The Accel-VT curriculum was developed zation working to improve sustainable by Village Capital, a national business ac- economic development in Vermont. Part- celerator model designed for high-growth ners include Burlington Electric Depart- ventures solving major societal problems ment and the Vermont Center for Emerg- that want to raise money from venture ing Technologies. Accel-VT launched at capital investors. The goal is to enable the the Catalysts of the Climate Economy eight Accel-VT businesses to secure in- National Innovation Summit held in Burl- vestments so they can bring their product ington in September 2017, which focused to market swiftly and strategically partner on the challenges presented by climate with utilities and other renewable energy change as opportunities for economic generation businesses to help solve the growth for climate solution businesses in challenges related to the monitoring and Vermont. control of distributed energy. Accel-VT cohort convene at Burlington Electric Department to help solve distributed energy challenges with the “Accel-VT serves as a compelling Learn more at www.accelvt.com. electric grid while honing business models for success in the marketplace. Courtesy Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund. example of how Vermont utilities are The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund is partnering to foster energy innovation for a nonprofit organization committed to the benefit of our customers,” said Neale nurturing the sustainable development of Eight climate change innovation Energy of Burlington, Dynamic Organics Lunderville, general manager of Burling- Vermont’s economy. VSJF provides business entrepreneurs participate in business ac- of Putney, and businesses from Maine, ton Electric Department. “As the first city assistance, network development, strategic celerator to help solve distributed energy New Jersey, Illinois, Georgia, Florida, and in the nation to source 100 percent of its planning, and value chain facilitation in challenges with the electric grid while Texas. power through renewable generation, agriculture and food system, forest product, honing business models for success in the In February, the third and final time this Burlington is a leader in moving our coun- waste management, renewable energy, marketplace cohort of Accel-VT entrepreneurs is work- try away from fossil fuels. Accel-VT opens and environmental technology sectors. Eight entrepreneurial start-up compa- ing together in person to improve their doors for energy entrepreneurs who share The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund was nies will convene next week at Burlington business plans, network with renewable our goal of a greener planet, and these created by the Vermont Legislature in 1995 Electric Department’s Spark Space for the energy industry leaders, meet with poten- companies help boost economic develop- to partner with state government, private final “sprint” of Accel-VT—a business ac- tial clients in Vermont electric utilities, and ment all around Vermont.” sector businesses, and nonprofits to build celerator providing support, mentorship, fast track their way to securing financial All of Vermont’s 20 utilities (electric, gas, a thriving economic, social, and ecological and access to capital for early stage com- investments so they can grow or pos- transmission, and efficiency) are inter- future for Vermont. www.vsjf.org. panies committed to climate economy sibly relocate their business to Vermont. ested in the solutions these entrepreneurs innovation. The businesses were competi- Additionally, two of the companies will be offer for electric grid stability, could be tively selected to participate in Accel-VT selected by their peers to each receive a potential clients, and all serve as Accel-VT Many thanks to our sponsors: to help solve the challenges related to $25,000 cash prize. sponsors. the monitoring and control of distributed “Accel-VT entrepreneurs have really “The opportunity to make an impact on energy (e.g., storage, electric vehicles, worked hard over the last 3 months to innovation within the renewable energy solar, community scale wind, combined hone their investment pitch, strengthen sector is greatest when you have key heat and power) and include Packetized their business and product value proposi- influencers across the industry working

Vermont Research Climate Change News Skiing, Winter Olympics, Healthy VT, Farms & Water Safety

SKIING AND CLIMATE CHANGE HEALTHY VERMONT, AGAIN! The impacts of climate change on Vermont was ranked the third healthi- Vermont’s ski areas were modeled in est state in America’s Health Rankings An- an article in Tourism Management. The nual Report6, behind only Massachusetts researchers looked at 103 ski areas in the and Hawaii. The strong performance was a Northeast, finding that many will not be sharp improvement from the first time the viable by the middle of this century. See study was conducted in 1990, when the also recent reporting by Maine Public state ranked 20th. Some key findings from Radio1 and this EPA Vermont fact sheet2. the report were the increase in premature A recent study conducted by a group of deaths nationally7 for the third consecu- UVM students3 synthesized a number of tive year—along with a rise in cardiovas- interviews into a narrative chronicling the cular and drug deaths. impacts of a changing climate on average Contrasting with the nation’s overall de- Vermonters. Some of the most frequently clining health in preterm births, Vermont cited concerns related to the mental was one of just four states, including New stress associated with rising tick popula- Hampshire, to earn an ‘A’ grade on the tions and shorter ski seasons. latest March of Dimes Birth Report Card8. Vermont had the lowest prematurity rate TOP MEDAL STATE in the country at 7.3%. See the Vermont Biz article9 for more information. Vermont sends more athletes per capita management practices and utilized sta- to the winter games than any state in the FARMS AND WATER POLLUTION tistical software to relate these findings to U.S. And the state’s winter medal count Lake Champlain. tops many countries. This week about 30 A recent study points to significant rela- athletes with Vermont ties will be compet- tionships between proximity of farmstead Reprinted with permission from the ing in Pyeongchang, South Korea. A new athletes. The book argues that Norwich and waterway and phosphorus levels10, Center for Research on Vermont, February 7, book, Norwich: One Tiny Vermont Town’s kids don’t specialize, their parents are as well as the trend of increased phospho- 2018 edition of Vermont Research News. Secret to Happiness and Excellence4, by hands-off and it’s about having fun over rus levels associated with cover cropping. Links available on the individual post- New York Times reporter Karen Crouse winning. See Interview with author5 on A group of Middlebury College students ing of this article on our website: www. looks at why Norwich has sent so many NPR’s “Here and Now.” distributed a survey to 250 farms to report greenenergytimes.org. CLIMATE NEWS WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG February 2018 25

The Weather Listens to No Man At the November climate change talks when we actually need a 3% fall each year in Bonn (COP 23), the official U.S. delega- for many decades. So everything New Eng- By Dr. Alan K. Betts tion looked pathetic as it tried to promote land can do to accelerate the green energy The impact of Strangely and unexpectedly, the back- the coal industry. The U.S. is now the only transition will benefit us all. accelerating cli- ground work of the federal government country in the world trying to withdraw At home here in Pittsford Vermont, we mate change last continues. The first volume of the Fourth from the 2015 Paris agreement, which enjoyed the last of the Brussel sprouts and year has been National Climate Assessment was released we helped draft. Meanwhile Bloomberg, kale at Christmas, which I harvested before sobering. High on schedule in November (science2017. the former Mayor of New York City, and the first big snowstorm. My winter spinach temperatures globalchange.gov/ ), as mandated by California Governor Jerry Brown presented is alive under glass and snow, and the rye and drought Congress 20 years ago. This excellent report the opposite message under the banner of cover crop is also now covered with snow. produced record is an authoritative assessment of the sci- America’s Pledge, an initiative to mobilize There is much we can do to store more car- fires in the ence of climate change, dealing with all states, cities, and companies to comply with bon in the soil. This benefits the climate, and western U.S., and aspects that affect the U.S. It is a joint effort the U.S. commitment to cut carbon dioxide at the same time, the organic matter stores the 2017 Atlantic of all the government agencies along with emissions in the Paris agreement. So far 20 more water in the soil, which in turn reduces hurricane season was devastating. Prelimi- university researchers, and it is lengthy and states and more than 50 cities and 1,400 runoff and gives crops greater resilience nary damage estimates are approaching very thorough (470 pages). It is an essential businesses have signed. against drought. We need to understand $400 billion, twice as much as the 2005 document for regional planning. Everything Unfortunately, it is already clear that the what is happening on a global scale, but hurricane season. At the end of the year, it says flatly contradicts the climate change Paris agreement needs to be strengthened it is critical for our children to develop the the Arctic vortex weakened and bitter cold denial of the executive branch, which was if the world is to meet its climate goal of resilience of our local agriculture. spread across much of Canada and the east- powerless to prevent its publication. Our limiting the rise of global mean tempera- Dr. Alan Betts of Atmospheric Research ern U.S. for weeks. The current U.S. adminis- dysfunctional administration in Washington ture to less than 2 degrees C (3.8F). After a in Pittsford, Vermont is a leading climate tration declared the end of climate change, will now try to figure out how to obstruct plateau that lasted three years, the global scientist. Browse alanbetts.com. totally unaware of the warm temperatures the publication of the second volume of emissions of CO2 appear to be rising again, across Eurasia. this report. Scott Pruitt, Just ten days before Hurricane Harvey hit EPA administrator, has Texas, wreaking havoc and causing wide- suggested a red team/ spread flooding, the president signed an ex- blue team debate as a ecutive order revoking a set of regulations review mechanism for that would have made federally funded the science, with a hos- infrastructure less vulnerable to flooding. tile red team of climate As a result much of the federal money science critics, perhaps sent to Texas to rebuild may be wasted on selected largely by the construction that will not protect against fossil fuel industry and rising sea level and the increasing severity the Heritage Institute. of storms. The clear intent is to Washington is facing many irreconcilable turn a critical issue for conflicts. This is not surprising because the the future of the U.S. weather doesn’t listen to political denial. and the planet into po- Just paying for these weather disasters is litical theater to spread getting harder, as Congress cuts corporate doubt and confusion. taxes, rather than introduce an escalating This in turn will lead to fossil carbon tax to pay for the immense more tragedies in the damage that lies ahead. future. The damages to the infrastructure of Houston, Texas were massive and long-lasting from Hurricane Harvey. Image: transgriot.blogspot.se

Better Buildings by Design 2018 Batteries … Storage is the go-to company for Rolls and By Barb and Greg Whitchurch Cont’d from p.12 offers some of the best service around the northeast. (See ad on page 13) The We both attended Better Buildings by builds and remodels. They examine what is they discharge. These features are similar owner of the company, Roy A. Early, has Design (BBD) in Burlington, VT as representa- under your house, inside the walls and roof, across the brands of lithium batteries we been working with lead-acid batteries tives of Green Energy Times. Having attended inside the basement, the air you breathe, recommend. longer than most of us have been alive. many sustainable building events, we can the appliances and lights you use, the types John Hassell has been suggesting He is happy to share his deep knowledge agree with many BBD attendees and vendors of energy you use, and the upfront and SimpliPhi batteries for his customers. of these batteries with anyone consider- that BBD is becoming the premier conference long-term financial and health costs of every Co-author George Harvey has been struck ing them. He tells a story of batteries in venue for building science education in the choice that is made during the design and by the social efforts Sonnen has made to the Philippines that have been continually Northeast. construction of a building. They cover what is help people in Puerto Rico. N. R. Mallery is used for over 35 years. The island depends This is the place where architects, builders, coming down the line regarding specialized considering RELiON batteries to replace her on the batteries for their energy storage engineers, designers, contractors, vendors materials and HVAC equipment; how to help bank of lead-acid batteries. Clearly, all of and have performed extremely high levels of services and materials and equipment, your children avoid asthma and allergies; how these companies and batteries have their of the proper maintenance to make them homeowners, government planners, educa- to replace explosive, poisonous, expensive good points. last so long – that they learned from Early. tors, and students come to learn the current onsite fuel storage (gas, oil, propane) with We should address whether lead-acid Many customers still favor batteries from state-of-the art in building science and prac- cheaper renewables; how to reduce your batteries are still a good option. The quick Trojan or Rolls Surrette with good reasons tice - as well as what’s new and upcoming. monthly housing and energy costs by build- answer is yes, they do have their place. that start with affordability and a solid Continuing education credits are available for ing or remodeling to a modern efficiency The low price of lead-acid batteries makes history of performance. They are, however, professionals through attending the many, standard. them attractive for many applications. The different from lithium batteries. You should tightly focused, presentations given by ex- Unfortunately, the building profession is flooded batteries require regular mainte- do a side-by-side comparison of features perts in their fields from all over the country; not regulated like the medical profession, or nance, and it can determine how long they before buying. sometimes the world. Vendors from Australia even as much as getting one’s driver’s license! will last, though somewhat higher-priced Another technology that deserves men- to Europe to Burlington show off their wares. The Vermont building code (RBES - residential gel and AGM batteries are nearly mainte- tion is nickel-iron. Iron Edison has said that We ourselves fit into the category of home- building energy standard) is almost never nance free. Solar installers might tell you to customers who buy nickel-iron battery owners, but homeowners who learned enforced; and even if it were, it’s not up to par expect them to last six to seven years, but systems will probably never have to replace enough to choose to build a Passive House with what is appropriate, affordable, safe and there are many folks that we have talked to them. As we said above, they also offer when the opportunity arose. healthy. If you want to learn how to select a whose batteries have lasted much longer. Lithium Phosphate LiFePO4 options. Efficiency Vermont puts on this two-day competent builder/designer/architect/con- Trojan batteries in particular, the ones We hope this information is helpful shindig, and they have somehow improved tractor for something more complicated than most old-time off-gridders are familiar to you. If you have questions, do call the it every year since its inception 20 years ago. a garage, come back in April when we’ll take a with, are known for their ability to handle companies that offer them to get answers Breakfast and lunch are provided both days; look at some of those issues in our next issue daily charging and discharging cycles. Our that are particular for your situation. there’s an enormous meet and greet network- of G.E.T. Meanwhile, take a look here: https:// eyes are definitely on the new renewable Contact info for our recommended brands ing event with a cash bar the first evening. contractors.efficiencyvermont.com/bbd. energy offerings from Trojan Battery that are: RELiON Batteries: relionbattery.com; This year saw almost 900 attendees from all Barb and Greg Whitchurch are board mem- have a much longer life expectancy than SimpliPhi: simpliphipower.com; Sonnen: over the U.S., and some from Canada. If you bers of Vermont Passive House and owners of a we have seen in the past. Check out their sonnen-batterie.com Iron Edison: ironedi- missed it this year, don’t miss it next year. LEAF, a Prius and a net-zero passive house with ad on page 12. son.com.. The range of topics and approaches varies solar PV & hot water in Middlesex, Vermont. Another tried and true standard is the And do take note that battery systems from the theoretical to the most practical. http://bit.ly/2nRCdGL (802)223-2416. Rolls Battery that many solar installers qualify for a 30% federal tax rebate! They cover residential and commercial; new in our region recommend. RAE Battery 2626 AugustFebruary 15, 2018 2014 WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 802.439.6675 Building & Energy Efficiency After the big one hits, here’s how to keep residential flood The Foam Factor and water damage to a minimum. against building materials that can be drains straight through the insulation by longed contact with floodwaters without damaged by water buildup. gravity rather than being trapped against sustaining significant damage. Closed-cell When applied against these types of the roof sheathing where it could contrib- spray foam can be used as a water- resis- materials (e.g., exterior wood sheathing), ute to roof rot. Upon drying, some open- tant barrier to help deflect moisture and particularly in hot or humid climates, insu- cell spray foam insulation products return provide additional “racking” strength to lation should allow just enough moisture to their original state without warping or help resist the high winds of a storm or diffusion to occur to let adjacent building distortion, and the effectiveness of the hurricane. materials breathe, preventing moisture insulation is restored to its original perfor- Dealing with flooding’s aftermath entrapment. mance potential. When assessing flood damage, one Open-cell foam delivers this “breathabil- The Federal Emergency Management must almost always assume that the water ity” and allows building materials to dry, Agency (FEMA) has identified closed-cell contains contaminants, such as decaying minimizing moisture buildup and related spray foam as a flood-resistant material organic matter and debris, raw sewage, problems, such as mold. due to its resilience and strength. Accord- fuel, solvents, microbes and mold. Through For example, in scenarios where the ing to the government agency, flood- wicking, moisture and contaminants can foam is applied to the underside of a roof resistant material is any building material be drawn into areas above the actual flood deck, in the event of a roof leak water capable of withstanding direct and pro- level. Even after cleanup, homeowners Cont’d on p.27 >>

INSULATION Expert installation of cellulose & spray foam The dry look. Closed-cell spray foam such as Icynene ProSeal AIR SEALING Comprehensive whole house approach can act as a water-resistant barrier and provide additional DIAGNOSTICS Tools and expertise to identify problems “racking” strength vs. high winds. Image: Icynene. WINDOW INSERTS Perfect alternative to replacements

Across the U.S.A. and Canada, heavy rainfall and flooding have caused millions of dollars in damage, lost revenue, dam- aged crops and homes. Hurricane Harvey ravaged southern Texas and the nation’s fourth largest city, Houston, flooding vast areas of the region—and Hurricane Irma pounded Florida, Puerto Rico and much of the Caribbean with high winds and a We have been making New Englanders downpour. In British Columbia, a tough more comfortable for over a decade. spell of raging wildfires over the summer made heavy rainfalls a greater threat in fall. 802.387.5005 • farnuminsulators.com Water ingress resulting from storm surg- 29 Brickyard Lane, East Dummerston, VT es, high rainfalls and flooding can cause massive damage to the typical home. When water ingress occurs from extreme weather events, it becomes necessary to assess the extent of damage and contami- Go Green With nation, debris removal requirements, and how to reconstruct or repair to reduce Spray Foam Insulation probability of similar damage in the future. Power cells When seeking methods to reduce the risk of water ingress, spray foam insulation is often overlooked as a comprehensive solution that can help play a role to keep out moisture and deter flood damage. Fully Insured However, spray foam insulation can be a key component in the design of building Save Up to 45% on Energy Cost Trained Professionals assemblies against future disaster-driven Family Owned & damage. Both open-cell and closed- Reduce Your Carbon Footprint Operated Company cell spray foam insulation can be used throughout a residential or commercial structure to manage and minimize mois- Call to Schedule A FREE Estimate Today! ture ingress. When it comes to addressing moisture, open cell foam is better suited for use SNOWDOG CONSTRUCTION, LTD.

SNOWDOG eSaiNrsO WDOG Building & Energy Efficiency CONWWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORGSTRUCTIO 802.439.6675N, February 2018 27 << Cont’d from p.26 consideration has to be givene to avoidingoC ONeSinTRgU CTION, may still notice problems with housing other porous materials that can absorb LTD. elements, since mold and other contami- contaminated water. The choice of ma- SNOWDOG nants can be present due to wicking and terials should be made based on sound LTD. therefore may render homes unlivable. building-science principles. Fore instance,no CatONioSTnRsU CTION, Cleaning up after a flood should involve in a floor above a damp crawlspace, it an assessment of the extent of remov- may be desirable to use closed-cell foam LTD. als required, necessary cleaning, drying because of its vapor retarding, compressive and disinfecting of surfaces by a qualified strength and water-resistant characteris- SNOWDOG contractor. Some porous materials may tics. A qualified and experienced insulation take days or even weeks to carry out. Mold contractor is able to help work through the CONSTRUeCTaiIOrNs , can begin to thrive in as little as forty-eight best approach. Most of all, building materials exposed eeaiairs r s hours when contaminated water floods an LTD. assembly. This makes it likely that many to flooding must be resilient enough to eoeing porous materials will, in fact, require re- sustain a certain amount of water exposure eoeing moval after an extreme weather event. to avoid the need for complete replace- eoeing Repair work following water ingress or ment. A “repair and prepare” approach enoations flooding will often involve raising older using spray foam insulation can help enoations buildings and constructing new ones on reduce risk of water ingress and damage, enoeaiatrs i ons piers or platforms above the Base Flood as weather patterns across North America Elevation (BFE). Construction below the continue to change and challenge our eoeing BFE must be done with flood-resistant approach in designing and building sound, materials. Closed-cell spray foam insulation solid structures to live, work and play in. enoations is suitable for application below the BFE. Reprinted with permission from Green AboveRepresenting the BFE, both open-cellthe finest and in high performanceBuilder Magazine , January-February 2018 closed-cellfenestration spray foams products; can be used, Loewen, but Comfortlineissue. Fiberglass, Optiwin, & Kohltech PVC. uPVC* *passive house rated Norwich, Vermont 05055 Representing the finest in high performance fenestration products:products; Loewen, Comfortline (802) 649-3605 Loewen,Fiberglass, Kohltech Optiwin, uPVC* & Kohltech & Tanner* PVC. uPVC* [email protected] ** passivepassive house house rated rated Norwich, Vermont 05055 Snoog onstruction onates Nor owi grcossh saes, Ve tor moero oent 0 5eair055 (802) 649-3(8062) 06459-3605 NoNrmwioichracwiehl@,sc nVohwe,d roVgmveerormmnontto. c0onm5t0 0555055 Snoog onstruction onates michael@snowdo(g8 ov0 g(r2eoss8 )saesr0 6m2 to4 )o 9o6er -oen439t6 eair.-0c35o6m05 micmhiacehla@[email protected] Snoog onstruction onates Renewable energy choices o gross saes to SnooSnerogo oe ogonstru onstru ctioneair onctionat eson ates ofor gr oss olow g saesr osscost saesto hot o t wateroer oeoer — oe eair eair and a low carbon footprint

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31 Station Rd. • Mount Holly, VT 05758 • P: 802-259-2094 • F. 802-259-2689 Simply the Best |Quality Residential | Commercial | Historical Preservation| Covered Bridges | 800.582.8423 www.StiebelEltron.us www.WrightConstruction.com 17 West St. | West Hatfield, MA 01088 28 February 2018 WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 Building & Energy Efficiency Many thanks to our Sponsor: Steven Winter Associates be exhausted by the ventilation process, heat that would need to be created by the building’s heating systems. You want a H/ “Ideal” Home Ventilation ERV with low power consumption and By Robb Aldrich good heat recovery effectiveness (at least 80% sensible, 60% total for an ERV). At a minimum, the H/ERV air flow should be powered by very efficient, variable- deliver what is required by the ASHRAE speed motors. All systems could be boost- 62.2 standard. In our ideal home, however, ed or manually controlled by occupants as we want to be able to boost this rate by needed. two to three times. Even better, there All this said, there are significant chal- By George Harvey would be a control system that senses lenges of the ideal system outlined here. concentrations of key contaminants and From cost, to wall penetrations, mainte- can boost the ventilation rate automati- nance, and space (and back to cost), the cally. In an ideal multifamily building, each scenario is not practical or affordable in apartment would still have its own H/ERV many situations – especially multifam- so there are no issues balancing flow rates ily buildings. Some of the “ideal” controls across dozens or hundreds of apartments. mentioned don’t exist (yet). I don’t see Fresh air from an H/ERV would be dis- systems like this often; when I do they’re tributed around the home by ducting or typically in custom, high-end homes. But some other mechanical mixing system. If when thinking about indoor air quality local exhaust is accounted for, there is not and energy efficiency, this is what I would much difference where you exhaust and aim for if designing a new home for myself. supply. It does not take much air flow to And I think it’s useful to keep an ideal in equalize contaminant levels throughout a mind when designing something realistic. home. Robb Aldrich is a Principal Mechanical For all ventilation systems, fans would Engineer for Steven Winter Associates.

VENTILATION SOLUTIONS FOR EVERY SEASON

The superior choice for the most energy efficient ventilation is an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV). ERVs use a balanced approach to exhaust and supply air, achieving good indoor air qual- ity while saving energy. Image: RenewAire. RENEWAIRE THE COLD WEATHER ERV Residential ventilation can be a tricky separate duct to outdoors with a damper, FROST-FREE OPERATION ∙ NO DRAIN PANS topic, and I often try to discuss it in terms a fan, and an electric resistance element to ENERGY EFFICIENT ∙ TEMPERS INDOOR AIR of practical, cost-effective, and holistic solu- temper the air when it’s very cold outside. tions. However, it is also important to clarify As we are still in my Shangri-La, this heat- the purpose of proper ventilation and what ing element would only operate when an ideal system might look like in a new, outdoor temperatures dip below 40∞F, and efficient home. In both single-family and it would modulate to maintain discharge multifamily homes, an ideal system would temperature of ~70°F as to not waste be similar – keeping in mind that practical electricity. The range hood – and ensuing issues can be quite different. makeup air system – would activate auto- The purpose of ventilation is to remove matically when heat or cooking contami- contaminants that can compromise health, nants are detected above the range. comfort, productivity, durability, etc. There are other ways to lower contaminant levels CONTINUOUS VENTILATION aside from ventilation that should be In addition to local ventilation, continu- noted. Emitting fewer contaminants from ous ventilation is still needed to dilute materials and activities is obviously good. contaminants throughout the home. For We all should be doing that. Also, actively this you want an energy recovery ventilator filtering, adsorbing, or otherwise removing (ERV) or a heat recovery ventilator (HRV). RSTThermal.com contaminants from indoor air can certainly These ventilators save or “recover” a signifi- 781.320.9910 help, and that is another lengthy topic cant share of the heat that might otherwise entirely. For most new residential buildings, mechanical ventilation is still the primary means to remove contaminants for now, or at least it’s the primary method that designers and developers need to plan. If building a new, efficient home in an idealized Shangri-La, my ideal ventilation systems would look like this. BATHROOMS Each bathroom would have an exhaust fan that draws roughly 80 cubic feet per minute (cfm). For decadent bathrooms with multiple showerheads, big whirlpools, etc., you may want more, but for most of us, 80 cfm is sufficient. These bathroom fans would remove moisture, odors, etc. to the outside. They would have humidity sensors, or at least controls in place to continue run- ning several minutes after a shower. They would and should still have the ability to be manually operated by the occupant. KITCHENS Kitchens would have range hoods with good capture efficiency that exhaust 200 to 250 cfm directly outdoors. Because these Garland Mill Timberframes hoods would be in new, efficient, and air- tight homes and apartments, you cannot 273 Garland Road Lancaster, NH 03584 High-Performance Homes draw out 200-250 cfm without providing tele/fax 603.788.2619 www.garlandmill.com makeup air. This would probably require a Garland Mill Timberframes 273 Garland Road Lancaster, NH 03584 High-Performance Homes tele/fax 603.788.2619 www.garlandmill.com

843801_Garland.indd 1 19/12/16 12:52 pm

843801_Garland.indd 1 19/12/16 12:52 pm Building & Energy Efficiency WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 February 2018 29 Green River Commons — Condominiums in Greenfield, Mass. By George Harvey supplied from the same solar. The homes are In August of 2015, Green Energy Times ran an equipped with state of the art Mitsubishi heat article about the R. W. Kern Center, at Hamp- pumps and Rheem hybrid water heaters, along shire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. That with ERV systems for ventilation. The units will article, “This is How You Do It” (http://bit.ly/ have HERS ratings estimated to be 44 or lower, GET-this-is-how), described what might be the which means they will require 44% of the toughest and most inspired standard around energy required by a standard home built to for sustainable buildings, the Living Building current specifications, 11% less than the current Challenge (LBC). code minimum requirement. That article also brought into sharper focus Each owner will have the opportunity for Wright Builders, Inc. in Northampton, Massa- solar system ownership for no more in monthly chusetts, which was the general contractor for cost than the projected energy bills, and with the Kern project as well as the Hitchcock Center little or no down payment through the Massa- for the Environment, both in Amherst, Mas- chusetts Clean Energy Center. The solar systems sachusetts, and both LBC projects. I called the that will ultimately go onto the roofs are not International Living Future Institute, which ad- pre-installed, in order to afford buyers the opti- ministers the LBC, and asked a simple question, mum use of grants and tax credits for their own The Green River Homes community are seven sustainable, comfortable, and beautiful one level condominium benefit. That can be done in consultation with “Has anyone ever done this before?” They were townhomes with easy access to public transportation and downtown Greenfield, MA. Courtesy photo. quite surprised by a single builder undertaking Pioneer Valley Photovoltaics, a locally owned the challenge on two buildings at once. They Coop that is considered an industry leader. had never expected it would happen. to change that. homes can be occupied without any sense of Wright Builders and Green River Homes are Wright Builders, Inc. works not only for Green River Commons in Greenfield, devel- guilt about environmental effects. They are built partnered with Freedom Credit Union for con- institutions, but builds and develops homes oped by Green River Homes, LLC and construct- to a standard Wright Builders calls “net zero struction and customer financing needs. for all sorts of people on a range of income ed by Wright Builders, consists of two buildings, capable.” What this means is that when all the All the homes are built to the same identical levels. They are working now a new project one of three units and the other of four. demands for energy are combined, they can be standard. Three of the home’s costs are labeled that perfectly exemplifies this, a seven-unit They are sited close to shopping, regional offset by a solar installation on the roofs. “market rate,” while the other four are defined as condominium designed to be kind both to transportation, some great restaurants, the- The double wall construction, cellulose affordable to families at 80% of median income. the environment and to the occupants’ pocket ater, and the arts of a great community. The insulation, Pella triple glazing, air sealing, and The prices range from $145,000 to $200,000 for books. Moderate income people often do not condominiums have indigenous landscaping, orientation are designed so that the heating one and two-bedroom homes, with areas of have access to the best of building science and off-street parking, river views, and comfortable and cooling needs can be covered by energy 560 and 720 square feet respectively. design. Collaborating with the Town of Green- interiors featuring wood and tile flooring. coming from the rooftop solar. The lighting, ap- To learn more visit their website at: http://bit.ly/ field, Massachusetts, Wright Builders is working What I find loveliest about this is that the pliances, and other needs for electricity are also green-river-commons.

FossilFossil Fuel Fuel Free Free HighHigh Performance Performance Homes HomesZero Energy Modulars or Site Built Zero Energy Modulars or Site-Built Deep Energy Retrofits HighDeep Performance Energy Upgrades for Retrofits existingHigh homes Performance Upgrades

BOB IRVING Owner/Builder • Serving New Hampshirefor existing & Eastern Vermont homes • www.rhirvinghomebuilders.com 603.648.2635

[email protected] Owner/BuilderSalisbury, New Hampshire BOB IRVING •

[email protected] (603) 648-2635

d Zero Ready New Homes www.rhirvinghomebuilders.coml Salisbury, NH i u

b Our Designer|Your Architect / d i Serving New Hampshire and Eastern Vermont s b l e | t d n o e m m e Architect | Bruce Coldham e r g | a s n n a o m ti

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ti Sustainability Leadership for Nearly 45 Years s n i 603.359.1912 // geobarns.com (413) 586-8287 e.104 wright - builders.com 3030 AugustFebruary 15, 2018 2014 WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 802.439.6675 Building & Energy Efficiency

make the most sense for your home. With Tortorice’s Tips: the recommendations from your energy audit report and tax incentive informa- tion, you can make the right decisions as 7 STEPS TO MAKE YOUR Spend Now for Future Savings to which measures will pay the biggest HOME MORE ENERGY By Bob Tortorice return on your investment — and have EFFICIENT value of your home increases by $6,000. the government and possibly your utility With the cold winter, it’s a good time to After the work is completed, the qualified company help you do it. review and share the value of an energy professional will verify measurable results audit and energy improvements and learn of the improvements performed. Invest in a Sure Moneymaker why it’s important to make home im- Measures to lower utility bills are Investing in your home’s energy ef- provements now in anticipation of future valuable home improvements that reap ficiency takes money. Fortunately, your hot summers and cold winters. dividends month after month. Your home return on investment is around 16% per Save Money on Your Energy Bills is more likely to make a faster sale for a year, taking into account the money Bob Tortorice has over 30 years of green higher price when you’re ready to sell. you spent on the improvements. As building experience. He is the owner of The qualified home energy professional energy prices rise, so will your return on Building Alternatives, Inc. and Alternative is trained to pinpoint the areas of your Uncover Hidden Problems investment. Energy improvements have Energy Audits in Franconia. Call 823-5100 home where energy is being wasted and A home energy audit involves a thor- reduced home energy bills from 25% to or visit www.buildingalternatives.com or used inefficiently. The resulting energy au- ough inspection of your home, which over 50% depending on the home and www.epsbuildings.com to learn more about dit will prioritize cost-effective improve- can uncover hidden structural and safety scope of work. “Building Life Long Savings.” ment opportunities that will pay financial problems before they cause major dam- dividends every season. The colder or age. For example, improper ventilation hotter it gets outside will only increase can cause mold or mildew growth, which your savings. you may not discover until it becomes Just like your house. Only more affordable. Increase Your Comfort severe, and costly repairs are required. You will feel the difference with the Help the Environment • More comfortable than Passive Solar • Uses 60-90% less energy than code homes right home improvements. No more By using less energy, you reduce the drafts, cold or hot spots. Air sealing the amount of pollution and greenhouse gas- • More sustainable than LEED building shell, sealing leaky air ducts, ses that are created in the production of • Greener than Energy Star adding insulation, or replacing that old electricity and the fuels we burn. You can furnace or air conditioner will make • For new buildings and remodels feel good about the energy (and money) • Easy to Net Zero your home a more pleasant place to be. you’re saving because you’re doing your Remember how hot your second floor part for the environment. • Supported by Efficiency VT bedrooms get in the summer! Who knows • US and Internationally certified how hot this summer will be? Take Advantage of Government and/or Increase Your Home’s Resale Value Utility Company Incentives www.phausvt.org For every $1 decrease in annual energy While you don’t necessarily need 802-223-2416 [email protected] costs, the market value of a home increas- a home energy audit in order to take es by $20, according to a study published advantage of government tax incentives *A non-profit organization in the Appraisal Journal. If you decrease and rebates, an energy auditor will show Come to a meeting. Speak with architects and builders. Get references and information. your energy costs by $300 per year, the you which cost-effective improvements

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We build energy-efficient homes from the design up! Utilizing the business model of consultation, construction management and general contracting, we are your agent! GREEN BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES (energystar) ■ Custom Modular ■ Passive Solar Design ■ Log ■ Advanced 2x6 Framing ■ Timberframe ■ Structural Panels (SIPs) ■ Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) RENEWABLE ENERGY OPTIONS ■ Active Solar Systems ■ Geothermal Systems ■ Wind Power

NEW CONSTRUCTION Let us perform an energy audit on your home, or a home you’re considering pur- chasing, to determine where the house is losing energy, and then develop a plan to reduce heating bills by 25–50%, as well as increasing the comfort of your current or soon-to-be home! THE BENEFITS OF A HOME ENERGY AUDIT INCLUDE: ■ Prevent repainting the exterior of your house year after year ■ Claim your basement and attic as additional living space ■ Solutions for problems such as mold, frost, cold, drafty rooms or ice dams ■ Possible rebates for existing homes, and piece-of-mind for HOME IMPROVEMENT homebuyers before you sign! MONTPELIER CONSTRUCTION BUILDERS AND FINE WOODWORKERS

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Building & Efficiency News WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 February 2018 31 New Hampshire Lawmakers to Adopt Clean Energy Practices More than fifty New Hampshire businesses global economy provides economic opportu- initiatives and are calling in a letter for the New Hampshire nities for the businesses and people of our polices, said, Legislature to advance clean energy policies state. “Investing in that they say will support economic growth One of the businesses signing on to the clean energy is and business development. letter is Wire Belt Company of America in good for busi- Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Hypertherm, Han- Londonderry, whose CEO, David Greer, said, ness, and naford Supermarkets, Velcro Companies, “Clean energy is good for businesses and New we applaud Timberland and Worthen Industries are among Hampshire’s economy, and it is the right thing businesses for the businesses that have signed on to a series to do for our planet. Renewable energy helps elevating their of “Clean Energy Principles” and sent a letter businesses like ours compete with other states voices in sup- highlighting those principles to state lawmak- who have lower energy costs.” port of strong, ers. In fact, Greer said, “We plan to almost clean energy As businesses and employers invested in double the size of our rooftop solar system be- policy.” New Hampshire, we believe that transitioning cause it helps cut our energy costs and gives Among busi- to a clean energy economy will improve our us more predictability.” nesses signing own competitiveness and our state’s prosper- According to Colleen Vien, sustainability di- the letter: ity, health and security,” the letter begins. rector at Timberland, “access to renewable en- 36Creative; It then lists the five principles: ergy empowers businesses to make decisions 7th Settle- • Energy efficiency and clean energy and investments that benefit the environment, ment Brewery; solutions are essential to our businesses. the economy and our bottom line.” 900 Degrees Strengthening investments in market-driven New Hampshire currently ranks last among Pizzeria Ad- David Greer, with the rooftop solar system on his company, Wirebelt of America, says clean energy programs will help New the New England states in energy-efficiency mix; Alnoba; “I just love the stuff!” Image from Green Energy Times, December 2013. Hampshire businesses be more competitive investment, and lawmakers have an opportu- AutoBeGreen; and grow our workforce. nity to do more to help decrease demands on Bowst Interac- • Clean energy solutions help us protect the the energy grid — helping to reduce overall tive; Bruss Project Management; Co-op son Strategic Communications; Stonyfield beautiful natural resources of our state, our energy costs for all consumers, the businesses Food Stores; Dartmouth Hitchcock; Filtrine; Farm; Strategic Potential LLC; The Hvizda tourism economy, our health and our way of argue. FoodState; Gale River Motel; GDS Associ- Team; Throwback Brewery; Timberland; life. Michelle Veasey, executive director of New ates Inc.; Global Round Table Leadership; Velcro Companies; Wire Belt Company of • Strong state policies to enhance access to Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibil- Good Start Packaging; Grappone Automo- America; W.S. Badger and Co.; Worthen energy efficiency and renewable energy will ity and an organizer of the statement, said the tive; Gravity Group New England; Great Bay Industries; and Yes! Ventures. shift our economy away from imported fossil signatories “are encouraging lawmakers to Community College; Green Alliance; Green Learn more at Visit http://bit.ly/NH- fuels, reduce energy costs and support locally adopt policies that position New Hampshire Energy Options; Hannaford Supermarkets; Businesses-SupportCleanEnergy. produced clean energy resources — keeping to be competitive and innovative. Lawmakers Henry Whipple House; Hypertherm; mage 4; our energy dollars in New Hampshire’s have an opportunity to follow the lead of the LighTec Inc.; Lucky & Me; Merritt & Merritt; economy. private sector and put the state on a sustain- MicroSpec Corp.; Nemo Equipment; NESG; • Investments in energy efficiency and able path towards a thriving economic future.” New England Commercial Solar Services; Many thanks to our Sponsor: renewable energy make us more resilient by Another organizer of the statement, Alli Outdoor Industry Association; Pause, a reducing exposure to fossil fuel price volatility.” Gold Roberts, senior manager for state policy Mindfulness Practice; Pax World Funds; Pete • Developing clean energy systems and at Ceres, a nonprofit that works with inves- and Gerry’s; Petersen Engineering; ReVision technologies to meet the needs of a changing tors and businesses to promote sustainability Energy; Ridgeview Construction; Stephen-

Seminars • Demonstrations March 2-4, 2018! and Much More! Radisson Hotel, 700 Elm Street, Manchester Win a Passport to a $50,000 Renovation! SUNDAY SEMINARS: 11:00 AM: Combining the Design & Budget of Your New Home (Paul Morin, Tarkka Homes) –Jr. Lego Build Contest– 12:00 PM: New Construction Energy Sources (Building Alternatives, Inc.) Saturday 10:30 AM (5-8 year olds) 1:00 PM: Kitchen Design (Susan Crupi/David Crupi, LLC) 2:00 PM: Bath Design (Susan Crupi/David Crupi, LLC) Sunday 10:30 AM (9-12 year olds) 3:00 PM: State of Residential & Commercial Solar (George Horrocks, Harmony Energy Works) SEMINARS IN THE ARMORY King Street Vineyards (Dave Quigley) HOME SHOW SEMINAR SCHEDULE FRIDAY SEMINARS: FRIDAY SEMINAR: 6:00 PM: How to Grow Fruit in Small Spaces 6:30 PM: The Role of a Pergola and an Arbor in an Outdoor Living Space 4:00 PM: Stretching Your New Home Investment Dollar (Paul Morin, Tarka Homes) SATURDAY SEMINARS: SATURDAY SEMINARS: 1:00 PM: Winter Fruit Pruning Workshop 11:00 AM: Knowing How to Work with a Custom Builder (Paul Morin, Tarkka Homes) 1:30 PM: Incorporating Artificial Turf into a Beautiful Outdoor Living Space 12:00 PM: Energy Assessments (Bob Tortorice, Building Alternatives, Inc.) 2:00 PM: How to Deal with Pests and Disease in a Backyard Vineyard and Orchard 1:00 PM: Kitchen Design (Susan Crupi/David Crupi, LLC) 2:30 PM: Incorporating Artificial Turf into a Beautiful Outdoor Living Space 2:00 PM: Bath Design (Susan Crupi/David Crupi, LLC) 3:00 PM: How to Grow Fruit in Small Spaces 3:00 PM: Getting Ready for Your Residential Construction Mortgage Loan (Mat- 3:30 PM: The Role of a Pergola and an Arbor in an Outdoor Living Space thew Thomas, Merrimack County Savings Bank) 4:00 PM: The Benefits and Scope of Choosing Minor Kitchen Remodeling (Home Depot) SUNDAY SEMINARS: 5:00 PM: State of Residential & Commercial Solar (Harmony Energy Works, 12:00 PM: Winter Fruit Pruning Workshop George Horrocks) 1:00 PM: How to Grow Fruit in Small Spaces

Limited booth space still available for the 2018 NH State Home Show

603-226-6538 • nhhba.com • nhstatehomeshow.net 32 February 2018 WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 Sustainable Education U n lo c k i n g I n n ovat i v e D e s i g n fo r B e tt e r S c h o o l s “This new design guide brings together ited staff and resources, the guide provides proven, best practices to help architects, step-by-step direction to ensure that users operators, and schools districts across the start off on the right foot by focusing on country find solutions that save energy four key components: and money.” 1. The Rationale for Zero Energy focuses on The AEDG aims to demonstrate, as dis- identifying the major stakeholders and tricts have already successfully exhibited, outlining what it takes to successfully that zero- energy schools are attainable achieve a high-performance, zero energy within budgets comparable to those of school including key principles to implemen- conventionally built schools, and provides tation. project teams with the specific how-to 2. Keys to Success details how to achieve knowledge, strategies, and solutions to zero energy from a procedural standpoint design and construct better schools across highlighting the steps necessary for plan, the country. Prototypical models were design, and build phases, and how to engage developed through simulation software to a variety of stakeholders vital to the process. determine target energy use intensity (EUI) for each climate zone in the U.S. and en- 3. Building Performance Simulation able design teams to establish appropriate provides guidance on how to integrate EUI goals for their own projects. building simulation into the design process. To support reaching specific EUI targets, 4. How-to-Strategies delves into more The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability, New York City’s first net-zero energy school building on the south technical aspects, users will be able to pull shore of Staten Island. Image: www.arch2o.com. the guide provides critical technical guid- ance for the design of building configura- from specific strategies and recommenda- tions and of building components, includ- tions for the design, construction, and The Advanced Energy Design Guide for enough renewable energy onsite to meet ing the following: operational phases as well as leverage K-12 School Buildings: Achieving Zero En- annual consumption needs through a • Building envelope and siting guidance on troubleshooting and achieving energy targets. ergy (AEDG) was recently released to sup- combination of innovative design strate- • Fenestration port elementary, middle, and high schools As demonstrated throughout the guide, gies, efficient technologies, and improve- • Lighting systems in their pursuit of zero energy performance ments in the management of building setting measurable goals is the first com- goals for deep retrofits and new construc- operations. The AEDG provides techni- • Heating, ventilation, and air-condition mitment a school district will make on tion projects. The guide was published by cal guidance for school districts to take ing (HVAC) systems a zero-energy journey. From there, zero ASHRAE and produced in collaboration energy-efficiency goals from conception • Building automation and controls energy design and construction strategies with the American Institute of Architects to fruition, and is meant to complement • Outdoor air requirements are an opportunity for school districts to (AIA), the Illuminating Engineering Society existing resources and strategies. • Service water heating promote fiscal responsibility while redirect- of North America (IES), and the U.S. Green “Energy consumption is the second • Renewable energy generation systems ing saved tax dollars to improvements that Building Council (USGBC), with funding highest operational expense to schools benefit students, teachers, and the districts The guide is intended for school support from DOE and analysis conducted each year, second only to salaries – reduc- as a whole. stakeholders pursuing zero energy goals, by the National Renewable Energy Labora- ing wasted energy in schools frees taxpay- including educators, school administra- To learn more, visit www.zeroenergy.org. tory (NREL). ers’ money to go towards more important tors, architects, design engineers, energy Reprinted from https://energy.gov/eere/ Zero energy buildings, as defined by the and productive educational resources for modelers, contractors, facility managers, buildings/articles/unlocking-innovative- Building Technologies Office, are extreme- students,” said David Nemtzow, director and buildings operations professionals. design-better-schools. ly energy-efficient buildings that produce of DOE’s Building Technologies Office. Recognizing that many schools have lim-

Building America Solution Center Celebrates Fifth Anniversary Five Years and a Million Stronger industry can easily access all this expertise,” of Colorado, was named Professional Build- said Eric Werling, Building America program er’s 2017 Builder of the Year. He attributes director. part of his company’s success to the Solution Since its launch, the Solution Center has Center, saying: “We built our business on the grown to include more than 230 best prac- shoulders of giants, including the Building tices guides offering step-by-step illustrated America Solution Center.” instructions for installing high-performance Thrive’s Vice-President for Sustainability Bill home measures. Topics range from the latest Rectanus said the company uses the Solution innovations to bread-and-butter measures Center in several ways. Thrive’s architects go such as insulating and air sealing. Builders to the Solution Center first when looking and contractors can also find 1,600 photos at ways to implement ENERGY STAR® and and illustrations and more than 100 videos Zero Energy Ready Home requirements in Image: United Way Long Island new house designs. Image: Meritage Homes and presentations Site supervisors that can be shared Image: Thrive Home Builders nization that builds affordable housing. and crew chiefs use Five years ago, Building America launched with crew members Wertheim also runs a United Way train- the Solution Center an interactive resource for high-performance through a mobile app ing center that teaches veterans and others when they want to home construction. Today, the Building Tech- for onsite training energy-efficient construction skills so he show crews how to nologies Office’s Building America Solution sessions. often turns to the Solution Center for photos, implement energy- Center continues to skyrocket in popularity, “This free, easy- videos, and installation guidance for his efficiency measures. growing from about 77,000 users in 2013 to to-use tool provides courses. To make sure the homes are energy Rectanus draws on the more than 298,000 users in 2017. That’s an builders with access efficient, healthful to live in, and long lasting, Solution Center when increase of 287%! In total, Solution Center to current building Long Island United Way builds all of its homes presenting at Thrive’s users are now approaching the one million science know-how to the criteria of national home labeling company-wide weekly mark, with 911,000 users and nearly two mil- from some of the programs like the Zero Energy Ready Home training sessions. lion page views since launch. brightest minds in program, which requires that each home be Builder Rick The Solution Center helps builders, con- the industry. It’s like certified to ENERGY STAR and EPA’s Indoor Wertheim of Long tractors, code officials, and industry profes- having a building sci- airPLUS. Wertheim likes how the Solution Island, NY especially appreciates the Solution sionals put into practice lessons learned from entist on your staff,” said Sam Rashkin, chief Center includes interactive checklists for all Center’s library of CAD files, which includes Building America-sponsored research on architect for the DOE Building Technologies of these programs in one place, which allow modifiable files that designers can customize hundreds of building- science-related topics. Office. users to click on checklist items to jump to and pop into house plans to give builders Researchers and practitioners can dig deeper The country’s top builders agree. guides explaining how to construct or install exact specifications on how to put together into subjects in a library of nearly 1,000 “The Building America Solution Center is each step. some of the trickier details of energy-efficient technical reports, articles, code documents, full of best practices. Every guide in there is As new resources are added, the Solution construction. “I’ve emailed them to the and case studies of U.S. Department of based on the right way to do things,” said CR Center will continue to educate American contractors and architects. It’s so much easier Energy (DOE)-funded research on hundreds Herro, vice-president of environmental affairs builders across the country on high-perfor- if I can give them something that is already of high-performance residential building with Meritage Homes, a production home mance home construction topics. builder with communities in nine western drawn,” said Wertheim, senior vice-president science topics. “Building America experts Reprinted from https://energy.gov/eere/ and southern states. of United Way of Long Island’s Housing put building science on the map. Now, with buildings/articles/five-years-and-million- Gene Myers, CEO of Thrive Home Builders Development Corporation, a nonprofit orga- the Solution Center, the entire construction stronger. Sustainable Education WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 February 2018 33 HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE Largest School Solar in NH: Phillips Exeter Academy!

ISBy George POWERED Harvey BY SUNSHINE

1,552 solar panels at Phillips Exeter Academy, the largest school solar array in N.H. Courtesy image.

Phillips Exeter Academy is home to the larg- hours of solar electricity. The average New est solar array of any school in New Hamp- Hampshire household uses 10,000 kilowatt shire. The ballasted rooftop array was recently hours of electricity per year, and the electricity installed by ReVision Energy on the academy’s produced by the array is enough to power 60 new, 84,574-square-foot field house in Exeter. homes. Generating electricity with sunshine will save The solar power generated by the array will the academy more than $2 million in energy offset 629,694 lbs. of carbon pollution each costs over the life of the system and will offset year, which is equal to 700,060 miles driven by the majority of the athletic facility’s electric an average passenger car or 32,140 gallons of The Harold F. Johnson Library. Photo courtesy of Hampshire College. load. The array consists of 1,552 solar panels gas. and is the largest in Unitil’s utility service terri- ReVision Energy collaborated with Harvey Back in August of 2016, Green Energy Times when the G.E.T. article ran in 2016 was that the tory. Construction Corporation on the field house (G.E.T.) introduced its readers to an exciting solar installation would be supported by a number of “This large-scale array is a tangible example modernization project. “The new field house project in Amherst, Massachusetts in the article, Tesla batteries to even out loads for the college. of the academy’s commitment to sustainabil- at Phillips Exeter Academy is a textbook case “Huge Solar … Just in Time for Schools.” (http:// The electricity produced is expected to be suf- ity, and it accelerates our state’s clean energy for using technology and materials in creative bit.ly/GET-huge-solar) The article led off with ficient for all of the college’s demands. transition,” according to ReVision Energy events and efficient ways to preserve the history of the a section about a 4.7-megawatt array that was Under the terms of their contract, SolarCity marketing specialist, Christina Zlotnick. “The campus while updating facilities central to the being built at Hampshire College. It has links to will manage the solar array for Hampshire Col- array enables the athletic facility to control its student experience and energy efficiency,” said two earlier G.E.T. articles that featured sustain- lege. The college will pay SolarCity for electricity energy costs and increase its energy indepen- Bill Stevens, president of Harvey Construction. ability efforts by Hampshire College, making it at a fixed rate of six cents per kilowatt-hour. This dence by reducing the need to buy power Reprinted with permission from Revision clear that the college has been working on the can be compared to the 13.5 cents per kilowatt- generated with fossil fuels.” Energy. Revision Energy has locations in Portland issue for some time. hour that Hampshire College has been paying On an annual basis, the 535.44-kilowatt array & Liberty, ME; Concord & Exeter, NH; and No. Jonathan Lash, who had been head of the for utility electricity. The contract is good for will generate approximately 598,000 kilowatt Andover, MA. World Resources Institute, became president of twenty years. Hampshire College in 2011. He immediately set The savings to Hampshire College are con- about looking into solar power for the college. siderable. Though it is not possible to calculate In those days, however, costs were too high precisely how much the savings are given and efficiency was too low for the project to be changing levels of usage and utility rates, Lash economically feasible. expects to save somewhere between $8 million Lash was very much aware of the environ- and $10 million for the college. mental benefits of solar power. He was also Though the effect on the utility of having aware of the fact that the price of solar power the college provide its own electricity is also was declining rapidly. So the college revisited not entirely known, Lash has said he believes it the issue in 2015 and found that the situation may be positive. The college will still be tied to had changed. Solar power had become very the grid and will buy power from it or provide attractive on a financial basis, and the decision power to it according to current conditions. This was made to move ahead. means that with smart handling, the college can The college had a nearby piece of property supply some power when grid demand is high, that it could use for a solar system. Nineteen reducing the amount of high-cost power the acres were used to install the 15,000 solar utility will need to buy. photovoltaic panels. The project was started in Lash pointed out that students participated 2016, and it was completed late in 2017. in all of the decision making relating to the solar The array was installed by SolarCity, now a array. The more they are exposed to the design division of Tesla. Design work was provided by process and the issues of sustainability, the Solar Design Associates of Harvard, Massachu- better prepared they will be for the future. And setts. One thing that we did not know about that, after all, is what education is all about.

NH’s Largest Solar of the array field to create a wildlife habitat Cont’d from p.11 and to mitigate the project’s visual impact. There have been some comparable proj- help the utility determine “whether such ects: Completed in 2015, the 579-mega- installations elsewhere on our system watt Solar Star project in California was the might make sense.” world’s largest photovoltaic power station, Also, after factoring in the cost of con- but has since been eclipsed by the Tengger struction and the expected savings, the Desert Solar Park in China, which is produc- cost of power from the Moultonborough ing 1500 megawatts. project will immediately have a “net cost on While the co-op’s Moultonborough par with conventionally produced power.” project is the state’s largest now, that The Moultonborough project also distinction may not last long, because sev- embraces environmental considerations, eral larger projects have been proposed, including leaving all stumps in place to among them a 65-megawatt photovoltaic prevent erosion; a perimeter fence with facility in Hinsdale. rounded instead of barbed wire, to protect Barbara Whitchurch writes for Green deer. To keep deer out of the array field, the Energy Times. She is a board member of VT co-op has planted clover outside of it. The Passive House, drives an all-electric LEAF, and co-op also has built a berm on the outside lives in Middlesex, VT. 34 December 2017 WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 CLASSIFIEDS GUIDE TO ADVERTISERS RESOURCES ADVERTISE IN GREEN ENERGY TIMES Alchemist 37 350-Vermont: General group that coordinates a variety of statewide actions. Call us with your ad info or e-mail ad copy All Season Urethane Foam 26 to: [email protected]. Up To join this group go to: http://350vermont.org Ammonoosuc Energy Expo 2 to 50 words: $25. Each additn’l word 65¢ American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy: Consumer guide to home energy savings - Deadline for the next issue is Apr. 1, 2018. 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One year = 6 Issues! Vermont Insulated Concrete Forms 26 from the Alberta Tar Sands. To join this group go to: groups.google.com/group/vt-tar-sands-action please send check to 1749 Wright’s Mountain Road Vermont Passive House 30 VPIRG: understand the clean energy resources available to VT - www.vpirg.org/cleanenergyguide Bradford, Vermont 05033 Vermont Soap Organics 38 VT Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC): nonprofit organization that issues home energy ratings for 802.439.6675 [email protected] Waterbury Leap Energy Fair 2 new & existing homes. 800-639-6069 - www.veic.org www.greenenergytimes.org Wright Builder 29 Weatherization, Energy Star & Refrigerator Guide: www.waptac.org Energy Awareness, Understanding & Independence! Wright Construction Co., Inc. 27 www.susdesign.com Online info for solar benefit with house design: overhangs, sun angle & path… XC Ski Resorts.com 39 It’sGREEN a Green LIFE Life HOME… After & All HEALTH WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORGWWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 FebruaryJUNE 15, 20142018 35 Sign up online Cedar Circle Farm NEW! EAST THETFORD, VERMONT Produce Plus CSA CARDS (early bird by 3/15) Invisible Cultural Perceptions BOUQUET & DINNER CSA SHARES and Primate Behavior By Larry Plesent SUMMER DAY CAMP (6 sessions in July & August) live only south of the Congo River in the The thing about ubiquitous invisible Democratic Republic of Congo. As a result CEDARCIRCLEFARM.ORG cultural perceptions is that they are, well, of their relatively small and remote habitat, often invisible. I stumbled onto one of these bonobos were the last ape species to be last week when I saw a pop-news headline described and are the rarest of all apes in bonobos each possess certain character- claiming once again that chimpanzees are captivity. As a consequence, they have, until istics that are more similar to human traits ROW ORE ASTE ESS our closest genetic relatives. This, in fact, is G M , W L recently, been little studied. It is known than they are to one another’s.” not exactly true. Garden Workshop Series that whereas DNA sequences in humans OK, let’s get this straight. According to this According to a 2012 article by K. Pruf in at Upper Valley Food Co-op diverged from those in bonobos and chim- genetic analysis published in a respected Nature, “Two African apes are the closest panzees five to seven million years ago, DNA journal, humans share a nearly equal genet- ~ Composting: Managing Food Waste on a living relatives of humans: the chimpanzee ARCH PM sequences in bonobos diverged from those ic heritage with two very different groups Home Scale M 8 @ 6 (Pan troglodytes) and the bonobo (Pan in chimpanzees around two million years exhibiting two very different lifestyles and paniscus). Although they are similar in many ~ Soil Health/Climate Health: Food, Soil, ago. Bonobos are thus closely related to responses resulting from their two-million- Water, Climate, Hope APRIL 12 @ 6PM respects, bonobos and chimpanzees differ chimpanzees.” year-old ways of life. One group is aggres- strikingly in key social and sexual behavior, ~ Attracting Beneficial Insects: This is incredible stuff. Humans and sive and male-dominated. The other, pas- and for some of these traits they show more Promoting Diversity Above & chimps diverged five to seven million years sive, playful, sexy and female-dominated. similarity with humans than with each other. Below the Ground ago from a common ancestor, and bonobos Both sets of genetics are presumed to come Further, whereas chimpanzees are wide- MAY 10 @ 6PM split off from chimps two million years ago. from a common ancestor. Humans, it stands $5 Suggested Donation spread across equatorial Africa, bonobos This makes us all very closely related along to reason, have an equal propensity to this multimillion year genetic tree. Some- either way of life. This is important: we seem where back there is presumed a common to have one tenth of 1% more chimp genes ancestor of all three species which exhibited than bonobo genes. characteristics common to all (and to us). Is it possible that our entire view of what Latest Job Census on Vermont Now here is where it gets crazy. Chimpan- it means to be human is weighted by that zees are an aggressive male-dominated ter- slight fraction of a percentage that brings Trade Jobs ritorial society. Bonobos on the other hand us closer to chimps than bonobos? Is it Cont’d from p.19 are the relatively carefree matriarchal led possible that, if we leaned one-tenth of 1% love-child hippies of the primate kingdom. towards the bonobo side, our life view and Their inevitable response to societal stress lifestyle and our relationship to the Earth within the troop is to party and males rarely itself would be very different? bump chests to prove dominance. The hippies had it right. Don’t make war, According to that same Nature article, have a party instead. “Compared with chimpanzees, bonobos Larry Plesent is a writer, philosopher and are playful throughout their lives and show soap maker living and working in the Green intense sexual behavior that serves non- Mountains of Vermont. Learn more at www. conceptive functions and often involves vermontsoap.com www.reactivebody.org same-sex partners. Thus, chimpanzees and and www.cancereraser.org. Chimpanzee. Image: Flickr

solar projects. Commensurate with job losses, Vermont saw it’s first-ever decline in customer solar installations. Communi- Safely Unclog Drains Without Chemicals ty solar projects which enable those who cannot host solar onsite due to renting, By Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss, EarthTalk® historic roofs, or shading slowed the most coffee grounds, pasta, potato under the new rules. Chemical drain clog removers contain some peels, rice, flour, produce “To grow local clean energy, we need pretty harmful stuff. The three main types stickers, paint and cleaning clear and consistent rules. Changes in available to consumers—caustic, oxidizing products down your sink state policies significantly affect local solar and acid—work by using harsh chemicals that drain, even if you have a gar- jobs,” added Campbell Andersen. “Given heat up clogs to melt the congealed grease bage disposal. As for keeping the tremendous local economic benefits impeding the flow. All three are acutely toxic to grease out of the drain, try and urgency of climate resilience, we can’t humans and animals if swallowed, and coming to scrape or mop it up with afford to slow down on local solar energy.” into contact with them can burn your eyes, a paper towel and throw it The Vermont Solar Pathways study, skin and mucous membranes. Even the fumes away. Also, keeping your gar- supported by U.S. Department of Energy, can cause respiratory distress. These chemicals bage disposal clean—pour found that if Vermont generated just 20% can also explode inside your home’s pipes— a little dish detergent down of our electricity from solar, we would cre- especially if inadvertently mixed with other the drain and run the disposal ate $8 Billion in net benefits for Vermont- chemicals or cleaners. under cold water for a minute ers. According to the 2017 Vermont Clean Unfortunately, you’ll have to look hard to or two each night after doing Energy Jobs report, undertaken annually find drain clog removal formulations that don’t the dishes—will also prevent by the Vermont Department of Public come with big risks. The Environmental Working back-ups. Service and released last year, about 87% Group (EWG) Guide to Healthy Cleaning gives As for the bathroom sink, of businesses in the clean energy sec- drain clog removers from the likes of Amway, shower or tub, hair (whether tor are small business, with fewer than Clorox, CVS, Drano, Liquid Plumr and Safeway from dad’s shaving or sister’s Simple devices like the TubShroom can trap hair before it gets into your drain and causes a back-up. Courtesy Image. 24 employees, meaning these changes an ‘F’ grade, given their toxicity to humans and styling) is likely the chief have tremendous effect on members of animals and harshness to the environment. suspect in clogs. A hair Vermont communities and result in loss of And don’t be fooled by a product’s branding, catcher like the TubShroom (or SinkShroom outflow pipes. If the drain still runs slowly, pour economic potential. as an eco-friendly name can sometimes belie or ShowerShroom) could help. This ingenious in several tablespoons of baking soda followed The Vermont solar tradesmen and toxic ingredients. To wit, EWG also gave an ‘F’ to little mushroom-shaped device pops into the by a white vinegar chaser. women are resilient and adaptable, and Up and Up Drain Pipe Opener and Earthworm drain and attracts and coils hairs around itself many local businesses also offer total Family-Safe Drain Cleaner for their environmen- before problems start. Pop it out every couple Contacts HowStuffWorks’ “How Drain clean energy solutions including cold tal and health dangers. of weeks, peel off and dispose of the collected Cleaners Work,” home.howstuffworks.com/ climate heat pumps, electric vehicle EWG found that a few products—Biokleen hair in the garbage, and start the process all home-improvement/plumbing/drain-cleaner2. charging, and energy storage. Bac-Out Drain Care Gel, Drainbo The Natural So- over again. htm; TubShroom, tubshroom.com; Environmental lution Natural Drain Cleaner, and Earth Friendly A little preventive maintenance goes a long Working Group’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning, ewg. The National Solar Jobs Census is Products’ Earth Enzymes Drain Opener—did way to keep drains clear. Health and wellness org/guides/cleaners; Mercola.com, mercola.com. conducted by The Solar Foundation®, a a decent job unclogging drains without using site Mercola.com suggests filling sinks with national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization EarthTalk® is a weekly syndicated column whose mission is to accelerate adoption especially toxic chemicals, but it’s always better a mix of white vinegar and warm water, then produced by the non-profit EarthTalk. To find out to try to avoid the problem in the first place. releasing the drain so this all-natural dynamic of the world’s most abundant energy more, submit a question, or make a donation, visit source. The full report can be at http://bit.ly/ In the kitchen, refrain from putting eggshells, cleaning duo can do its work degreasing your us at EarthTalk.org. National-Solar_Job-Census 36 February 2018 WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 It’s a GREEN LIFE …After all

Elmore Roots’ Permaculture Know-How heirloom apples * siberian quince * elderberries * Elmore Roots The Sweetness of Having a Piece of Land to Grow Food Not like any other nursery by David Fried we can deliver or ship! seaberries at a gathering in New York City earlier this * week. Many young people, students at hardiest plum and pear trees * New York University, gathered around me saying, “We want to be organic farmers. How do we do it?” I felt like a celebrity! We who grow fruits and nuts and vegetables have a great legacy which we need to pass on to younger people. There

is nothing as optimistic as planting a fruit northern kiwi vines or nut tree or a berry patch and a garden. * It means we plan to be around to harvest GIFT CERTIFICATES from it, and it means we believe the world AVAILABLE ONLINE will still exist! It also gives us a chance to elmoreroots.com 802.888.3305

do something with our hands, with no paws paw phone in one of them. We get to whisper * blueberry bushes ready to fruit! * to the earth, and we get to hear the earth whisper back -- in flowers! Remember what Joni Mitchell sang to us as the 60s were going out? “And we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden.” See you there soon.. Painting by Gabriel Tempesta David Fried is the grower/poet of Elmore Roots fruit tree nursery in Elmore, Vermont. Travelling around the east coast I It is pretty standard for a home to be notice that a lot of people live in apart- sold with a birch tree and a spruce tree ment buildings. This conserves more and a few azalea bushes in front, and that open land, but I wonder if that open is it. What if most homes came with a few Recycle Crayons land can be farmed and if the people in plum trees or a tasty crabapple tree and a the tall buildings still have a connection raised bed for a vegetable or herb garden? to it? Is there a better way to increase the love into Reusable Energy Those of us with even a small bit of of children growing up for the earth and Monadnock Food Co-op & Keene land have a way to dip in to the soft the land around them than by letting them 193 North Main St earth and help things grow up from it. plant and harvest and taste and feel it? Middle School Recycling Partnership White River Jct, VT Today, I was speaking with a man who We had two crabapple trees in my back- has an eight-foot-by-eight-foot back- yard growing up, and my dad would prune (802) 295 5804

yard in Brooklyn who was excited when them, and from them, my mom baked uppervalleyfood.coop I told him that, if it received sunlight, he fragrant apple pies .My mom had garden could grow some blueberry bushes or a gloves with peas and carrots printed on pear tree there. them, and she grew these vegetables Squirrels, skunks and sparrows make along the fence. One day, my brothers and it in small city spaces and so can plants. I looked out our kitchen window while eat- I have read that a fruit tree somehow ing our breakfast and saw our neighbor’s distills the water rising in its sap to pet monkey up in these apple trees -you Shop Co-ops form its fruit, so even fruit grown along never know how exciting life can be when Co-operatives are businesses that are member- highways or inner cities is purified by you live with fruit trees! owned collectively managed by paid staff and the inner workings of a tree. I was introduced as a “farmer in Vermont” a member-elected board of directors. Values include democracy, self-help and a concern for A group of Keene Middle School 6th graders excited about families and the community. the Crayola ColorCycle program.

The Monadnock Food Co-op and the Keene Monadnock Food Co-op Goes Middle School (KMS), both located in Keene, NH, have partnered to reduce marker waste. The two organizations are working together, 100% Renewable for 2018! through the Crayola ColorCycle program, to In addition to the Community Supported energy to cover the electricity that is necessary collect coloring and permanent markers, dry- Cont’d from p.9 Solar array on their roof, a recent LED lighting to power our store.” erase makers, and highlighters in order to divert retrofit, and use of “Polar Power” to pump The Co-op’s agreement with Constellation them from local landfills. Crayola collects these cold outside air into their coolers, Monadnock New Energy allows the Co-op to buy Renew- markers from schools across the country and Food Co-op has also signed a contract with able Energy Credits (RECs) from wind power converts them into reusable energy. Constellation New Energy to source their ad- for 100% of their estimated electricity usage The Co-op’s Green Team has been working ditional electricity from renewable sources for beyond that produced by the rooftop solar with Betsy Stacey, KMS Extensions Teacher, and the 2018 calendar year, and beyond. array. For every unit of renewable electricity the Student Council to implement the program “We recognize that climate change is a seri- generated through wind energy technology, in the school and the store. There is more, as ous threat to our suppliers, both worldwide an equivalent amount of RECs is produced. The this project goes beyond just recycling; the and at home. From the floods and landslides purchase of RECs supports renewable wind two organizations are providing students with that plagued organic banana farmers in Peru electricity generation and reduces conventional educational opportunities by teaching about recycling and engaging them in store tours. Open 7 Days 8am-7pm this spring, to the wildfires affecting California electricity generation in the region. Open 7 Days 8am-7pm 9 Washington St 388-7276 middlebury.coop vineyards, and the drought that hit our state’s “As renewable energy becomes increasingly “This program offers a unique opportunity 9 Washington St 388-7276 middlebury.coop dairy farmers especially hard last year, the more price-competitive, we hope many other to make an impact within our community while increasingly volatile businesses in our com- teaching students the importance of waste climate that affects our munity will join our co-op diversion” says Laura Carbonneau, Green Team everyone can shop we global community is in investing in initiatives member and Events & Marketing Associate at anyone can join fair something our coopera- like the Community Sup- the Co-op. “Understanding the life cycle of the Mon - Sat trade! tive strives to avoid,” said ported Solar Project with products we use on a daily basis gives us all a 7am - 9pm stronger foundation on which we can imple- Sunday Michael Faber, General Monadnock Sustainability 9am - 9pm Manager of Monadnock Network, and in sourcing ment positive change.” The Monadnock Food Co-op is a community- 34 CYPRESS ST. Food Co-op. “I am so proud that despite renewable power to meet their needs,” said KEENE, NH almost doubling our staff and sales since Emerald Levick, Marketing Manager for Mo- owned food store offering a diverse selection 603 355 8008 opening five years ago, we have been able nadnock Food Co-op. “Working for the safety, of local, organic and natural foods to the to reduce our overall energy consumption security, and resilience of our community in the Monadnock Region. The co-op is located at 34 over the past two years. We are also excited face of climate change will take every one of us, Cypress Street in Keene, right off of Main Street to be able to support the generation of wind contributing in every way we can.” via Eagle Court: www.monadnockfood.coop. good.local.food.good.local.food. It’s a GREEN LIFE …After all WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG February 2018 37

Improving the Air Quality in Your Home Without Breaking the Bank EarthTalk® — From the Editors of E -The Environmental Magazine flame retardant chemicals The key to a healthy indoor environment is carbon dioxide and processing before we knew how harmful clean air, but many of the finishes and furniture it into oxygen, thereby creating they could be to our indoor in a typical home or office off-gas pollutants more clean air for us to breathe. environment and health. Now that can compromise air quality. While open- Garden mums, spider plants, that California has mandated ing a window might help, it also could make dracaenas, ficus, peace lilies, that new furniture products matters worse by introducing auto exhaust Boston ferns, snake plants and cannot contain these noxious and other noxious emissions in. So, what’s a bamboo palms are great choices chemicals, more and more clean air lover to do about keeping the indoor given their especially powerful manufacturers (including Ikea environment safe? air purifying abilities. and Pottery Barn) are starting For starters, it can’t hurt to change the filters Yet another relatively easy to phase them out, so it’s a on your furnace and air conditioner(s) on a fix would be to purchase an great time to replace that old regular, scheduled basis. Manufacturers recom- air purifier that plugs into the mattress with a new one that mend changing out furnace filters every three wall and uses carbon filtration won’t off-gas carcinogens months, but that interval may vary depending or other methods for filtering every time you plop down on square footage of the heated space and contaminants out of the indoor onto it. other factors. (When you install a new filter, environment. The Coway Mighty write the date on it when it should be changed and Winix 5500-2 share top Contacts: Coway, coway. to keep yourself honest.) Also, getting your rankings from leading consumer com/Product/Detail?prod_ HVAC air ducts cleaned once every few years— review service, Wirecutter, while disp_no=47; Winix, winix- Getting a few houseplants is one way to start cleaning up the air quality inside your home. america.com/product/5500-2; or more frequently if you have pets or lots of the Dyson Pure Hot+Cool Link Credit: Stephanie Vacher, FlickrCC. people using the space in question. gets a kudos for great air clean- Dyson, http://www.dyson. Another way to help filter your indoor air is ing with style. com/air-treatment/purifiers/ the all-natural way: with house plants. While If you really want to go all out, think about coatings manufacturers Sherwin-Williams and dyson-pure-hot-cool-link-evo/ humans have always had a special relationship repainting interior walls with paint formulations Benjamin Moore now also have more healthful overview.aspx; NASA’s “Indoor Landscape Plants with the plants around them, it wasn’t until that use little or no volatile organic chemicals formulations for a quickly increasing number of for Indoor Air Pollution Abatement,” https://goo. NASA published research in the 1980s that (VOCs) that have been linked to respiratory eco-conscious home improvement customers. gl/j7WzPU; AFM Safecoat, www.afmsafecoat.com. we knew just what an important role house problems, headaches, nausea, dizziness and Another easy albeit more costly way to green EarthTalk® is produced by Roddy Scheer and plants could play in ridding indoor environ- fatigue, among other health worries. AFM up your indoor environment would be to get Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of ments of noxious chemical pollutants. Plants Safecoat is the industry leader in low- and no- rid of those old couches, mattresses and other the nonprofit Earth Action Network. Visit www. scrub particulates from the air while taking in VOC paints and finishes, but the big players like furniture which were required by law to contain earthtalk.org.

Portland, Maine Unanimously Bans Toxic Pesticides Portland is now the biggest city in the country to ban the use of toxic pesticides on public AND private lands. On a snowy day at the beginning of this year, folks in Portland, Maine were thinking summer — a pesticide-free one! On January 3, 2018, the Portland City Council unani- mously passed one of the nation’s strongest ordinances prohibit- ing toxic chemical pesticides on all public and private property. Starting this summer, Portland will practice city-wide A crowd gathered at the Fort Allen Park gazebo for the summer concert series. organic land-care in Credit: Corey Templeton/Flickr. a huge step forward towards a healthy Maine. Congratulations to Avery, Maggie, and community groups like Protect South Portland other members of the Portland Protectors who passed a similar ordinance to ban dangerous made it happen! pesticides on public and private land. The Toxics Action Center Campaigns worked with ground-breaking organic land care ordinance the Portland Protectors for nearly two years to was one of the first of its kind and community win safeguards against dangerous pesticides leaders hoped that it would kick off a trend in throughout the city. Toxic pesticides have been Maine and beyond -- and it did. Portland is now linked to asthma, learning disabilities, birth the biggest city in the country to ban the use of defects and cancer, and they also threaten our toxic pesticides on public and private lands. water and the pollinators we need to keep our Sylvia Broude, the Executive Director of Tox- food system healthy. In the last two decades, ics Action Center Campaigns said, “With such Maine had seen a seven-fold increase in lawn- dedicated activists working for a pesticide-free - care pesticides. Maine, and your support, we know this vic tory won’t be our last. This is what bottom-up With this ordinance, the Portland Protectors change looks like!” took a bold step towards reversing this danger- ous trend. Thanks to the hard work of grass- Portland’s example is an amazing one that roots leaders, city councilors voted 9-0 to ban the staff at Green Energy Times hopes to see chemical pesticides starting this summer and followed throughout the northeast and well- created an advisory group to educate the city beyond. The Toxics Action Center can help. on healthy, organic land use practices. Their website is: toxicsaction.org. Contact them Last year in neighboring South Portland, at [email protected] or 617-292-4821. 38 February 2018 WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 IT’S A GREEN LIFE - AFTER ALL… WINTER FUN Going for Green at This Year’s Olympics PyeongChang sets the stage for Energy Efficiency & more! By Dawn Selak dioxide emissions. On the other hand, national partners to make its sustainabil- South Korea ranked thirteenth in the Later this week, athletes proudly ity efforts a success. buildings section, so it is good to see wearing their countries’ colors Using energy-efficient materials, PO- POCOG going the extra mile on build- will fill the winter sports arenas of COG constructed a variety of new build- ing efficiency. PyeongChang, South Korea, as they ings needed for the Games. Many of the We at ACEEE welcome the efficiency compete in the 2018 Olympic Winter buildings utilize cutting-edge materials efforts of the Games and the country as Games. But one color---green---will which insulate facilities ranging from the a whole. We will be updating our rank- be present throughout the games, modular houses that will accommodate ings of South Korea and other countries thanks to the PyeongChang Organiz- event drivers, to the Olympic Plaza and with the June release of our 2018 Inter- ing Committee’s (POCOG) sustain- the International Broadcast Centre. In all national Energy Efficiency Scorecard. ability and energy efficiency efforts. those buildings, the insulating panels The scorecard will be material for our These efforts---including a high- will optimize energy use and cut heating upcoming International Symposium. speed railway, electric vehicles, and costs by keeping warm air in, and cold air to PyeongChang and nearby Gangneung. Stay tuned for details and have fun efficient buildings---explain why the and moisture out. The railway is energy-efficient, using less watching the Olympics. Nigerian women’s bobsled team won’t energy and boasting a carbon footprint In some instances insulation will be the only team making history at this one-eighth that of gasoline vehicles. It increase energy efficiency by keeping a Dawn Selak is the communications Olympics. PyeongChang 2018 is the is also time-efficient, cutting travel time building cold. The Olympic Sliding Centre manager at ACEEE. ACEEE, The American first Winter Olympic Games to receive between Seoul and Gangneung to less uses a polyurethane spray foam to ensure Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, the ISO 20121 certification, a sustain- than two hours, as compared to six hours the luge, bobsled, and skeleton track stays acts as a catalyst to advance energy ability standard for entire events. It is on the Mugunghwa train. In fact, the frozen. The venue also has a variety of efficiency policies, programs, technolo- only the third Olympic Games to be newly constructed railway is expected other energy-efficient features, including gies, investments, and behaviors. For certified, along with the London 2012 to prevent more than 6,000 metric tons LED track lighting, that enabled it to be information about ACEEE and its and Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. of greenhouse gas emissions if 420,000 one of six G-SEED (Green Standard for En- programs, publications, and conferences, visitors choose the express railway over ergy and Environmental Design) Certified visit aceee.org. New railway saves energy personal vehicles. facilities built for the Games. The South Korean government and Locally, electric vehicles will be used its citizens have long prioritized public to transport participants and visitors, Going for the gold (or green) transportation. Seoul’s subway is the while also cutting energy use and carbon The Olympic Committee’s measures third-busiest metro system in the emissions. The Korea Electric Power Cor- reflect South Korea’s commitment to world---touted as among the best in poration agreed to provide 150 electric sustainability and energy efficiency. In the world, as well. So it’s no surprise vehicles and 24 additional charging sta- ACEEE’s 2016 International Energy Ef- that public transit is a key part of the tions to be used during the Games. ficiency Scorecard, South Korea tied with POCOG’s sustainability plan for the the United States for the eighth spot. The Winter Games. International collaboration brings nation also ranked sixth in the transpor- With both the Games and overall comfort and efficiency tation section, setting it apart from the accessibility in mind, the Wonju-Gang- Just as the Olympic Games bring to- United States, where transportation is neung High-Speed Railway was con- gether athletes and visitors from around currently the largest source of carbon structed to connect the Incheon Inter- the world, POCOG is working with inter- national Airport, located outside Seoul,

Sustainable Business 2018 Cont’d from p.1 porting people through much of the U.S. of pumping oil. This includes Cameron Tony Seba, a recognized expert in disrup- Parish, which had the highest percent- tive technologies, has said he expects that age of Trump voters of any county in car-owning residents of New York could the U.S. get service from automated vehicles they 3. Renewable energy has had its own call with smart phones that is as good as branch of financing under develop- what they get with their own cars, and ment. Green financing specializes in they could save 90% of the cost in the projects that ordinary investors cannot process. We might envision the same accurately assess. This means that being true in rural areas, if we allow for evaluations of projects for investors are having to call for the cars ten minutes improving. It also means that increasing before they are needed. How many of us amounts of funding are appearing at would prefer to keep 90% of the money we declining interest rates. spend on cars? 4. Energy storage technology is 7. Artificial Intelligence is expected to improving rapidly and costs of storage have profound effects on the electric grid. are declining accordingly. The effect of We can also expect it to have effects on all this on the market can be seen in the other uses of fossil fuels. The effects could responses to Xcel’s recent requests for be found in everything from heating our bids on solar power, wind power, and homes to mowing our lawns. storage in various combinations. The 8. As renewable energy sources are median price of bids for wind plus established, there will be new opportuni- batteries was 2.1¢ per kilowatt-hour, ties to use power at times when no one precisely half of the lowest price wants it. This means that a whole set of available for electricity from combined synthetic fuels and chemicals could cycle natural gas. become available, of which hydrogen is a made with 5. In the very near future, as we move good example. When it is burned, the only ORGANIC to deal with climate change, we will by-product is water. INGREDIENTS 9. Our health can be expected to improve F a HEALTHY need to move away from fossil fuels to ENVIRONMENT the point that nearly everything is with the reduction in pollution that can be FOR ALL electrically powered. Though it is not expected with reduced use of fossil fuels. happening in the U.S. yet, in some With this will naturally come reduced costs places, such as Norway, even short for health care and insurance. range air transportation is expected to There may be good news after all. For be powered by electricity. those who wish to learn more, we suggest 6. Though it may sound unbelievable, reading “2018 State of Green Business,” an fully-automated electric vehicles could 80-page report from GreenBiz.com (http:// soon be delivering goods and trans- bit.ly/state-of-green-biz-2018). IT’S A GREEN LIFE - AFTER ALL … WINTER FUN WWW.GREENENERGYTIMES.ORG 802.439.6675 February 2018 39 The 2018 Image: Lorie Shaull/Flickr associated with the Games. Sustainability Olympic guests will also be able Super Bowl to make donations in-person at Cont’d from p.1 a donation center at the Olympic Park in Gangneung. on-site production of green Reducing the Olympics car- energy and their green power bon emissions is a goal shared purchasing agreement. by the International Olympic So, we know the Eagles Committee and athletes alike. won Super Bowl LII, but who One such athlete is Andy Newell, wins the 2018 Sustainability one of many Vermonters who Super Bowl? will be representing Team USA The scoreboard says…it’s in Pyeongchang as a member the Philadelphia Eagles again! of the Olympic cross-country ski As it turns out, they are as team. green as their uniforms! “Embracing sustainability is Let the Games begin! Team USA at PyeongChang 2018. Image: http://bit.ly/ Sustainability at U.S. Bank Stadium something we all need to see as PeyongChang2018-TeamUSA As 103.4 million Super Bowl viewers PyeongChang 2018 important if we value the future around the country now know, U.S. Bank of winter sports,” Newell told G.E.T. in a recent Stadium in Minneapolis looks quite futuris- Organizers Hoping To Get interview. “In my opinion, it’s all about finding tic—what they may not know is that it is also the balance between reducing our footprint one of the most state-of-the-art, sustainable Medal in Sustainability (as winter athletes) and consuming less but not sports facilities in the country. With host cities building expansive new neglecting an industry than needs innovation.” As reported on the Minnesota Vikings’ of- facilities and athletic teams and spectators Newell says that ski resorts could, in theory, ficial website, at its opening in 2016, U.S. Bank travelling from around the globe in order to stop making snow and stop grooming the trails Stadium became the first NFL venue to be attend, the Olympic Games typically result in a completely in order to significantly reduce the built with an advanced LED lighting system very large carbon footprint. With this in mind, industry’s carbon footprint but snow sports as that allows for instant on-and-off capabilities the organizers of this month’s Winter Olympics a whole would suffer due to the subsequent while using 75% less energy compared to in PyeongChang have worked to minimize the lack of accessibility and interest. According to metal halide lights. international celebration’s toll on the environ- Newell, one of the best ways for winter athletes The LED lighting system is impressive; ment. to enact change is by using however, the Vikings plan on minimizing its “Since we won the bid their platform to spread use by taking advantage of the immense to host the Games, sustain- environmental awareness to amount of natural lighting that the facility’s ability and the environment young people. extraordinary roof provides. More than half of have been at the heart of our “I often visit high schools U.S. Bank Stadium’s roof covering is made of a plans and procedures,” said on behalf of Protect Our Teachul Rhyu, PyeongChang Winters,” Newell said. “These clear, plastic-like material called ethylene tet- Andy Newell lives in Shaftsbury, VT. This is his fourth rafluoroethylene (ETFE), which facilitates the Organizing Committee for the kids are the ones who will be voting in just a few years and Olympic Games, winning bronze in the 2014 Sochi use of sunlight as a free year-round source 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Courtesy image: Andy Newell. of natural heat and light for the stadium. By Winter Games (POCOG) Direc- if I can connect with them, it using a lightweight building material such tor General of Environment. has the potential to have the as ETFE instead of conventional steel, the “Our venues and infrastruc- biggest impact and create the cultural shift towards and implement solutions, both creative and Vikings were able to significantly reduce the ture have all been completed commonsense, for the hefty environmental carbon footprint of the stadium’s construc- to the necessary standards sustainability that we so des- perately need in the U.S.” challenges we as a species face in professional tion process. and we will continue to focus sports and beyond. Generally, stadiums built in areas with on our sustainability goals In addition to being a snowy winters require a lot of steel to support throughout the Games and celebration of skill and Best of luck to all members of Team USA! their roofs, however, the domed shape of U.S. beyond to leave the legacy culture, hopefully this year’s To learn more about sustainability at the Bank Stadium’s roof made it possible to forgo that the Games deserve.” Winter Olympics will serve as Olympics, check out “Going for Green at the an estimated 2,000 tons of steel. The steep, POCOG has also launched a a reminder to viewers world- Olympics” on page 38. wide that, although our asymmetrical design allows snow to quickly fundraising website, Carbon- For the complete list of winter athletes aligned athletes compete against roll down the roof and into a giant, heated Fund2018.com, which allows with Protect Our Winters, visit www.protectour- international athletes, we are snow gutter that brings the water straight to Olympic participants and winters.org/riders-alliance. the stadium’s storm water control system. visitors to make donations to really all on the same team. Chris Gillespie is a contributing writer for In addition to this, low-flow plumbing purchase internationally-trad- Regardless of nationality, Green Energy Times. He can be reached at chris@ technology is expected to reduce U.S. Bank ed Certified Emission Reduc- it’s up to all of us to support Sophie Caldwell, Shaftsbury, VT. Wikipedia. greenenergytimes.org. Stadium’s water usage by 5.67 million gallons tions (CERs) to help offset the one another as we develop annually. significant carbon emissions

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